Tobermory 32 yo 1972 / 2005 49.5% vs Tormore 16 yo 1966 / 1982 Samaroli 57%
Tobermory 32 yo 1972 / 2005 49.5%
At first I was taken aback to see that this was an oloroso cask finish, so comprehensively rich was the nose I had guessed full term maturation. Of course the two year finish here might properly count as maturation, still not to detract from the whisky… Rich, nutty, jammy, leathery, dry and delicious. Touches of earth, burnt earth. Smoked meat, soot and tar. So far all typical notes of a great cask. Judiciously balanced and surprisingly well mannered on the tongue. Then some salt, cereal oils and the green bite of crisp Shiso leaves accompany the experience to a ordered finish just as it starts to get too tannic. Might really be 89 but I’ll go with 90 pts
Tormore 16 yo 1966 / 1982 Samaroli 57%
Absolutely gargantuan sherry. To the rafters with those rich but dry aromatics that spawn a rainbow of hues from purples to black. Except the proverbial pot of gold is instead filled with tar droplets in soy sauce, stirred with soot crusted implements. Cough syrup, eucalyptus oil, savoury sage, oregano even maybe. Words cannot describe how massive this whisky is. Extracts of liquorice, aniseed. Pure grade resins, molten cocoa cut with the sharpest granite. A well known mould, but par extraordinaire. But lets agree its all about the (wonderful) sherry. 92 pts but if you like sherry in Schwarzenegger proportions then 94 pts.
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