Whereas many distilleries like to speak about custom, few embrace evolution as confidently as Tomatin. Perched excessive within the Monadhliath Mountains, this Highland distillery has taken a meticulous strategy to whisky-making, one which favours texture, class, and time.
In line with blender and world model ambassador Scott Adamson, the whole lot at Tomatin begins with one query: What is going to this turn out to be?
What Defines The Distillery’s Character?
On the coronary heart of Tomatin’s model is a stability of malt and fruit. “We’re in search of a sublime but advanced fruit-forward spirit with a malty spine,” says Adamson. That begins with their use of Sassy barley, a daring Highland selection, and a semi-lauter mash tun that produces a cloudy wort, deliberately leaving tiny barley particles within the wash. “The presence of barley particles ensures that its affect goes to be current in our new make,” he explains.
This maltiness units the muse, however the actual magic begins with fermentation. “We have now one of many longest fermentations in Scotland at over 160 hours,” Adamson says. “There are occasions I’ve walked into the tun room and it smells like a Solero ice lolly.” That additional time permits dormant micro organism from the malt and water to awaken after the yeast has achieved its work, contributing a deep fruitiness to the wash.
From there, the distillation is gradual and deliberate. “We deal with our feints like an ingredient in their very own proper,” he provides. Reflux-enhancing stills, a gradual run, and a slim minimize between 75% and 65% ABV all contribute to what one former distillery supervisor as soon as described as “spirit in 3D.”
A Guided Core Vary Tour
Adamson was then form sufficient to speak us via Tomatin’s core vary, which showcases a wide range of ages and cask finishes.
Tomatin 12 12 months Outdated
The flagship expression, matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and refill casks, is approachable but layered. Anticipate ripe apples, pears, and a delicate nuttiness that results in a pleasantly oily end. “It’s a really conventional model of Highland single malt,” says Adamson.
Tomatin 12 12 months Outdated Sherry Cask
This latest addition takes the 12’s signature smoothness and wraps it in full sherry cask maturation. Assume caramelised apples, orange peel, aged leather-based and a end with velvety chocolate fudge and candy cinnamon spice.
Tomatin 14 12 months Outdated Tawny Port
Completed in port casks that when held wine for 50 years, this dram is “an actual testomony to our first-class wooden coverage at Tomatin,” in keeping with Adamson. It brings purple berries, candy honey, and fruit salad collectively in a balanced, elegant sip.
Tomatin 18 12 months Outdated
Their most awarded whisky, matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts, is wealthy and indulgent. Darkish chocolate meets citrus chew, all held collectively by honey and gentle oak.
Tomatin Cask Power Version
Don’t let the ABV idiot you. This expression is all about managed energy. Matured in first-fill bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, it affords ginger biscuits, malt loaf, and marzipan, ending with a warming spice.
Tomatin Legacy
A tribute to the distillery’s roots as a group anchor, this unpeated single malt is lighter in model, with notes of vanilla bean, white chocolate, and ginger. It’s a superb gateway into Tomatin’s DNA.
Cù Bòcan: Tomatin’s Smoky Aspect Challenge
Whereas Tomatin is finest identified for its unpeated spirit, the distillery’s Cù Bòcan vary affords one thing very totally different. Bottled below its personal experimental label, Cù Bòcan explores the smoky facet of the Highlands, utilizing Highland peat, which produces a distinctly campfire-like aroma, in comparison with the medicinal, iodine-driven notes typically present in Islay malts.
“The kind of natural matter within the peat will have an effect on the vary of fragrant compounds obtainable,” Adamson explains. “For instance, one of many primary elements in Islay peat is sphagnum moss which comprises iodine, a pure antiseptic, which in flip results in Islay malts typically being described as “medicinal”. Then again, Highland peat comprises numerous lignin – branches, twigs, and so forth.”
Cù Bòcan isn’t nearly peat; it’s a playground for innovation. The crew experiments with totally different barley varieties, yeast strains, peat ranges, and cask sorts, together with Japanese oak, rum casks, and past. “One of many nice joys of engaged on this model is that we don’t absolutely know the way it’ll evolve,” says Adamson. “We let the whisky do the speaking.”
A Quiet Confidence
Tomatin might not shout the loudest, however it speaks with quiet confidence. Each selection, from barley selection to fermentation time, is made in service of flavour. And in a class the place shortcuts are sometimes rewarded with quantity, Tomatin reminds us that nice whisky nonetheless begins with endurance. Whether or not it’s the refined core vary or the boundary-pushing Cù Bòcan, this Highland distillery continues to seek out new methods to shock, with out ever shedding its sense of self.
That is just the start of our dialog with Scott Adamson. Within the coming weeks, we’ll be diving deeper into Tomatin’s strategy to cask maturation, sustainability, and the evolution of their experimental releases. Keep tuned for extra behind-the-scenes perception from certainly one of Highland whisky’s most considerate voices.
