Tomatin Take to the (Port) Pipes

Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky have always offered a wide range of expressions with different flavour profiles, there is usually something for everyone and now in comes a new 14yo Port Wood Finish for those of us that prefer a port influence.

What Tomatin say:

As part of the core range this has spent around 13 years in the finest Bourbon oak barrels, and then a further year in specially selected Portuguese port pipes, which had previously held Tawny port for between 30 and 40 years.  The result is an excellent dram which is soft and smooth with a port-influenced sweetness.

Nose:

Honeydew melon, red berries, baked apples.  Rich toffee, butterscotch.  Sweet honey and bitter dark chocolate.

Palate:

Fruit and nut.  Peaches, apricots, mango and plum.  Mixed Walnut and Pecan.

Finish:

Smooth fruit salad which linger on the palate.

This is bottled at 46% ABV and available here at £48.99 per 70cl bottle.

What we say

We are big fans of the Tomatin range here at Whisky Corner, Legacy is a fantastic, excellent for money, session dram.  The 25yo has so much complexity, we could go on and on.   We are really looking forward to this new addition to the core range.  So, let’s go.

Kirsty

Nose:

Hello summer, red fruits aplenty, wild strawberries, redcurrants, bitter, dry cranberries.  A fresh hint of cucumber, fresh mint, cocoa butter and a fizzy rainbow belt note.  Balsamic reduction, watermelon, heaps of oak, vanilla sweetness tampered by an almost acetone note, which softens as honey notes start to come through.

Palate:

The first gentle kiss of honey is only there to fool you, before you are smacked in the face with a pink and green peppercorn crust.  Mace and lemongrass with a toasted hazelnut bitter edge.  Pine nuts and musty wallpaper take over, with a delicate spice of star anise and warm leather.  Coffee makes itself known before rich dark chocolate, warm chestnuts and dried cranberries reach the finish line first!

Finish:

Long and sweet, with an underlying dry note, however this is kept firmly in check by the abundance of fruity notes.

Overall Thoughts

It’s not going to be a dram for everyone, but I think this is a great summertime whisky, light and fruity, this will also work really well with food and chocolate pairings.  A fair price point and well worth giving this a try.

Stewart

Nose:

Cream soda, liquorice, apples and ripe pears, cherry pie, boiled milk and corn flour.

Palate:

Chewy, heavy dram, stewed fruits come through along with the liquorice that was present on the nose.  Slight space dust on the tongue, spicy peppercorns visit fleetingly before succumbing to hits of damp wood.

Finish:

Lovely fruity finish, hangs around the palate for a while.

Overall Thoughts

A lovely dram with plenty of punch and fruit from the port wood.  Really enjoyable.

A massive thank you to Jennifer from Tomatin for our official sample for review.