Tomatin Limited Release 32 Years Old 1981

A distillery bottling of Tomatin, a 32 year old from 1981, drawn from cask 001 and bottled at 42.3%. The outturn was 405 bottles. Tomatin is the soft, fruity Highland malt of a distillery founded in 1897 near Inverness. By 1974 Tomatin ran twenty three stills and was the largest malt distillery in Scotland.

It was drawn off copper pot stills fed by the burn of the deer, for a soft, apple and pear scented spirit. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the fruit. At over thirty years it is rich and mellow, tropical fruit, honey and old oak. The cool, high Highland climate gives a slow, even maturation. Malt is bought in, the distillery's own floor maltings having closed in the 1980s. 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.

Bottled at 42.3%, it is rounded. A soft, fruity sweetness, and the Oloroso adds figgy fruit and a warm nuttiness. 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.