Malt Mission 2009 #330

Tomatin 1967 40yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky

42.9% abv

£430
$1000(USD)

In 1974, Tomatin was the largest single malt distillery in Scotland with 23 stills, but Tomatin sold off many of its stills and in the past 4 years it has gone from number 2 (after Glenfiddich) to number 12 in distillery capacity.

Oh yes, the times they are a-changing in the whisky world, but change is nothing new to this industry. Phylloxera vastetrix, prohibition, war (see this)... When this whisky was made 40 years ago all cask management, stock ledgers, and blending sheets were handwritten, single malts weren't really available outside of Scotland, and distilleries were producing all of their required malted barley on site. Some of these things seem impossible from today's persepctive, and in many cases they are simply because the scale has increased by leaps and bounds.

So raise a glass with me to get through this Wednesday in January and toast positive change in whisky, in government, and in our pockets.

Only 1,614 bottles of this stuff, created from 7 hogsheads of mature spirit at Tomatin. For more distillery info and to see all Tomatin had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Bittersweet with spicy oak. Caraway seeds and marzipan liqourice, freshly churned butter. Port wine. A handful of raisins and almonds.

Honey coated coconut. And chocolate. Lacy with surface impressions containing glimpses of what lies behind. Woven flavours are neither balanced nor conflicting. Exciting flavour ride. Late spice, again with the caraway seeds, juniper, and bitter chocolate.

SUMMARY:

Complex, and although not at all balanced, this is 100% positive. Caraway and marzipan make a Scandanavian Christmas whisky. Constantly redefines itself to the drinker, weaving new sides and new flavours never letting go of the former with the one that follows. Nose has elements of aquavit while the palate has elements of Macallan. Vibrant, exciting, if slightly hot; 40 years maturation and wise vatting creates a whisky as dynamic as 40 years of life should be. Alive, and life-affirming.

Malt Mission #326
Malt Mission #327
Malt Mission #328
Malt Mission #329

Malt Mission HOME

Malt Mission 2009 #329

Tomatin 30yo 1976
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
49.3% abv
£167

There were many beautiful things made in 1976. Beautiful, handsome, smart, charming... and modest things. And while there is only one of me, there are 1500 bottles of this recent release from Tomatin.

Probably safe to say Tomatin is not the most beautiful distillery in Scotland, but inside its industrial complex over 30,000 visitors tread each year.

Most of Tomatin's production goes into blends, many in the far east leaving only about 2% for single malt releases. But the range has expanded since the 12yo was launched in 2004 with a 18 and 25yo, and now a 30yo and 40yo join the growing single malt line.

TASTING NOTES:

Vegetal with notes of juniper, cabbage, and cooked carrots start us off. A sherry-influenced sweetness follows with beer nuts, cashews, and fruit preserves. Pops and squeaks of lime, chocolate wafers, and nutmeg. Big oak, too, adding a solid spine to it all.

Immeasurable honey, toffee, and a sturdy green stalk bitterness that holds it together. Sweet buttered corn. Autumnal with leaves and oak. Ginger and lime. Exciting.

SUMMARY:

Alive and well after 30 years (like some of our best friends), this dram speaks volumes and has something new to show on each sip. Vivid. Engaging. Powerful. And the sherry finish does nothing to mute the notable distillery character. A brave success.

Malt Mission #326
Malt Mission #327
Malt Mission #328
Malt Mission #330

Malt Mission HOME

Malt Mission 2007 #123

Tomatin 12 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£22

Oh, the poor letter 'T'. I have heard it mumbled among whisky nerds that there are no good whiskies that start with the letter 'T', save Talisker. Can it be true?

Taking its name from tha gaelic for "hill of the juniper", Tomatin has been a quite workhorse for many years. By 1973 there were 23(!) working stills and a capacity of 12 million litres of spirit per year. It was the biggest distillery in Scotland for over a decade. Tomatin became the first distillery to be acquired by Japanese interests in 1986 (Takara Shuzo Co. and Okara & Co) and production capacity was waned back to just under 7 million litres. Still quite a big boy, though.

So why haven't I ever heard of Tomatin, you ask? Well, this 12yo single malt replaced a 10yo in 2003, but only 1 or 2% of what the distillery produces ends up released as a single, and little of that tiny amount ever makes it to North America. Tomatin goes largely into blended whiskies (in Scotland and Japan) including Big T, Talisman, and The Antiquary. The marketing lines suggest that the distillery has been modest about its achievements, and all signs point to a reassertion of Tomatin and Antiquary blended whiskies in the marketplace.

The single is released as a 12 and a 25 year old, and there are several really good independent bottlings out in the big bad world.

TASTING NOTES:

Linseed or flaxseed oil, a beer hops floral aroma, slightly sweaty and rubbery. Damp, air dried towels, pecans and butter tarts. If there is any peat, it comes off quite rubbery. I know this must sound vulgar, but the impressions are delicate and quite enticing.

Peppery, full in the mouth. Parsley. Buttery, with sugar. Nutty, musty, and oaky. Some industrial style peat again, but just perfumy.

SUMMARY:

Quite an unusual whisky, unique combination of flavours, or types of flavours; a whisky that shows subtle depth with a real Highland style about it. A difficult dram to compare with anything else and hard to find a place for it on my shelf... what mood would it suit? I guess those moments of indecision, when you can't be bothered to think about what you want. Very satisfying for pub dramming(Big T and Tomatin were often on optics when I lived in Edinburgh) and good value by the bottle.

Malt Mission #121
Malt Mission #122
Malt Mission #124
Malt Mission #125

Malt Mission HOME