![]() While both are quality big-name malt producers, it would be very unusual to pair their styles together. Privately, the local agent did reveal to vendors in Alberta that those two distilleries are Highland Park and Macallan, respectively. You often get these sorts of tantalizing clues with mystery malts, which are designed to lead those with a bit of knowledge to make an educated guess as to the distilleries involved (whether correctly or not). I’ve seen some commentary online that the island malt was exclusively from ex-bourbon barrels. Specifically, the whiskies come from a lightly-peated island malt and a heavily-sherried Highland malt, aged independently and blended in Scotland. The bottle label explains it is a blend of whiskies from “two of the most notorious single malt distilleries in Scotland,” representing “where the mountain meets the sea” (with a custom logo to that effect). This bottling of Scottish malt whiskies comes from Fountana Beverage – an international liquor import/exporter based in Vancouver, Canada. I couldn’t resist picking up a bottle in my travels, given its ridiculously low price and presumed heritage. I don’t typically do many reviews of mystery malts, but this one has a funny story behind it that piqued my interest. This is an example of a “mystery malt” – that is, a blended malt where the source distilleries are not identified. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for other Tomatin special releases.įollowing on my review of an entry-level blended malt ( Monkey Shoulder), here is a higher-end offering: the Infamous 22 Year Old. I’d give it ~8.8 on the Meta-Critic scale. Doesn’t affect the burn, so I consider water to be optional on this one.Ī good quality cask pairing, to be sure. Water turns the oily mouthfeel into something more syrupy – with added corn syrup sweetness to boot. With water, the classic bourbon sweetness notes rise on the nose (i.e. What little bitterness there is is very mild, and doesn’t detract for me. Cinnamon lingers the longest, which I like. The dark fruit preserves return, along with the lighter candied fruit note (gummi bears). Touch of bitterness creeps in on the swallow.įinish: Long and creamy. Quite drinkable at 52% ABV, doesn’t need water to tame the burn. Cinnamon and nutmeg, plus a little black pepper. Fruits take a back seat now, and the earthy notes take over. Palate: Rich and thick brown sugar notes dominate, along with honey and creamy caramel – a good pairing. No off notes, except perhaps for the faintest hint of old sweatsock (so, sulphur – if you are particularly sensitive to it). This is a good pairing of bourbon maturation and PX finishing. Nutty, with an earthy quality (moist earth and ginger root). Almost port-like in its level of sweet fruit. Golden raisins, plus a lighter candied fruit note. Very jammy nose, with dark fruit preserves. Let’s see what I find in the glass on this one: But I typically also like unpeated gentle base malts that are well-aged with an extensive period of sherry of port finishing. While most of these bottlings are nothing special, I was personally a big fan of the peated limited release Cu Bocan 1989. Tomatin Cu Bocan Virgin Oak Edition: 8.51 ± ± 0.47 on 3 reviews ($$$$) Tomatin Cu Bocan Sherry Edition: 8.35 0±. There are not enough reviews to be included in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database, but here are how the various Tomatin bottlings compare. ![]() I was able to sample this from a colleague’s bottle. That makes it 18 years and 9 months of age.Ħ21 bottles were released, bottled 52% ABV. It was matured in ex-Bourbon casks, and finished for five years in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Butt. Released last last year, this single malt was distilled in 1999. This bottling was released by Kensington Wine Market in Calgary, Alberta (their first Tomatin special release, I understand). I’ve seen a few of their single cask bottlings go by in recent years, typically through various state-controlled liquor boards. This is a single cask bottling of Tomatin, a Highland whisky producer in Scotland.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |