Tomatin 21-year-old Bourbon Barrels Travel Retail Exclusive / 46% / 0.7l

Over its 120-year history, Tomatin Distillery has experienced both ups and downs.

The huge expansion from the 1950s to the 1970s made it Scotland’s largest malt distillery, but it also led to bankruptcy in 1985. The Japanese companies that took over the distillery, Takara Shuzo and Okura & Co., reduced its distilling capacity by more than half and focused on producing malt spirits for blenders. It wasn’t until the beginning of the new century that Tomatin focused on single malts, adding new versions almost every year. This February 2020 21st Anniversary Edition strengthens the brand’s position in the Travel Retail sector. The whisky came exclusively from first-fill bourbon casks.

Aroma : lots of vanilla and coconut flakes, caramel cream, honey, milk chocolate, peaches, passion fruit, apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon and oak.

Palate: vanilla pudding, honey-roasted nuts, gooseberries, greengages, apples, yeast cake, candied ginger, anise, cloves and a light bitterness of oak.

Finish : quite long, with notes of vanilla, cappuccino, honey, buttered toast, ripe summer fruits, sweet spices and oak.