Tomatin 14 yo 1987 Carn Mor, cask 494
I’ve not had a naked (read ex-bourbon) young-ish Tomatin before, but it’s great if like me, you love to get a hint of the distillery character without sherry or wood finishes. It’s well known that Tomatin is a huge distillery with most of the output going into blends and a new core range, but even so, I wonder why we don’t see a lot of its single malt going to the indies.
Nose: Honey and lots of cereal biscuity notes. Quite a clean medium weight whisky with those tell tale pear skin notes that suggests this spirit really needs time. But also already quite some cream and new wax, something pithy bitter, a fair dose of hot spice plus a curious ‘heavy’ floral aromas like clover and patchouli. In truth rather quite appetizing and fresh!
Palette: More honey and new malty notes. Much greener on the tongue with a drying herbal astringency. Some eucalyptus, and then more waxy. Cooked honey. Much less generous on the tongue than the nose suggests. Seems more ‘highland’ than ‘speyside’.
Finish: Medium and dry. Touch of minerals and astringent again.
I quite like this, I know it doesn’t sound lush but it’s really quite inviting in a clean, fresh, fuss-free way. I can see how adding some islay or sherried speysider can result in a perfectly drinkable blend.
Whiskyrific RSS
- Clynelish 22 yo 1989/2011 The Whisky Agency ‘Moody Lions’ vs Clynelish 27 yo 1982/2010 The Perfect Dram
- Glen Keith 20 yo 1992/2013 Master of Malt Single Cask #120598 vs Glen Keith 20 yo 1995/2016 Douglas Laing Old particular #DL11169
- Bowmore 38 yo 1957 #216-220 vs Bowmore ‘Sherriff’s’ 7 yo Cogis import
- Kilchoman Machir Bay vs Lagavulin 8 yo ‘200th Anniversary’
- Laphroaig 10yo Mario Rossi import vs Laphroaig 10yo Filippi Fausto import
- Lim Eiling 27yo Single Malt Irish Whiskey 1989/2016 vs Lim Eiling 22yo Single Malt Irish Whiskey 1991/2014
- Tomatin Legacy vs Tomatin 18 yo
- Jura 8 yo 70 proof 26 2/3 fl. oz. vs Jura 26 yo Stillman’s Dram 1965 45%
- Hakushu 18yo vs Hakushu 25 yo
- Glen Garioch 40 yo 1971/2011 for The Whisky Exchange #2038 vs Glen Garioch 30yo 1978/2009
