Tomatin Cuatro Series – Fino Sherry 12 Years Old 2002

A distillery bottling of Tomatin, a 12 year old release from 2002 and bottled at 46%. 1500 bottles in all. Tomatin, founded in 1897 in the Highland village of the same name, was once Scotland's largest malt distillery. It was bought in 1986 by Takara Shuzo of Japan, the first Scotch distillery in Japanese hands.

Distilled from unpeated malt in copper stills on Allt na Frithe water, giving the light, mellow spirit at its heart. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the orchard fruit. By this age the soft spirit rounds into orchard fruit and a gentle oak. Years in oak round the spirit, the orchard fruit deepening with age. For most of its life the distillery rarely ran to its full capacity. The make is light and fruity, easy to like and easy to drink. Special releases like Decades and Warehouse 6 have marked the distillery's milestones. Cold, clean water runs down to the distillery from the hills above.

At 46% it is clean and fruity. Apple, pear and a soft honey, and the oak lends vanilla and a soft sweetness. It is fruity and soft, the fruit and oak well matched. The finish is rounded, honeyed and gentle. This is a soft, approachable Highland malt.