Tomatin Italian Collection – Barolo Casks 12 Years Old 2010

This Tomatin, an official release, aged 12 year old from 2010 and bottled at 46%. Set in the Highland hills south of Inverness, Tomatin has made single malt since 1897. Cu Bocan takes its name from a spectral hound said to haunt the Tomatin hills.

Worked through onion stills for a light, fruity spirit, for the soft, fruity Highland make Tomatin is known for. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla and a soft apple. Past a decade the fruit deepens into honey, apple and a soft spice. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the fruit speak without smoke. Under Japanese stewardship the focus turned from sheer volume to quality. The very long fermentation is central to the distillery's fruity character. The distillery sits beside the A9, the old road north to Inverness. Cu Bocan focuses on unusual cask finishes, from sherry to wine and beyond. Tomatin stands at over three hundred metres, among the highest in the land.

At 46% it is clean and fruity. A mellow, fruity character, and the oak lends vanilla and a soft sweetness. Beneath it run apple, pear and a soft spice. It closes soft, fruity and warm. This is Tomatin, the fruity Highland malt.