Reviews of scotch and world whiskies by a history professor, his wife, bird, and three cats.

Tomatin Cask Strength

Tomatin Cask Strength

Whisky : Tomatin Cask Strength

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 57.5%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry

Nose : Berries backed by rich malty notes.  Berry cobbler, cherries, and frosted cupcakes came to the front while the impression of whole wheat toast with jam lingered in the background.  The sherry influence was mellow with notes of dried leather and book bindings.

Palate : Medium bodied with dried fruit and brown sugar.  Dried cherries and berries emerged first followed closely behind by a cleansing burst of finger-lime citrus.  Sugary notes of dried dates, walnuts, and brown sugar pastries lingered at the end.

Finish : Lingering dried dates, kiss of cola, and fruity sugars.


Score : 4 

Mental Image : Cranberry Walnut Bread


Notes : I may have thought this was a bit ho-hum and one note without a lot of depth, but as far as a mellow sherry dram goes, this was not bad.  If you are attracted to rich sherried drams, this might be a solid daily drinker that offers a no-frills sherry experience with enough malty notes to keep things interesting and was neither a limited time single cask nor something that would break the bank.

Overall, a perfectly pleasant and friendly cask strength bottle that had good versatility as something enjoyable to drink straight up and strong enough to stand out in a cocktail.  I have no doubt that people who naturally tend toward sherried profiles will rate this higher than I did.

Aberlour 12 Year SMWS 54.80 “Banana Mexicana”

Aberlour 12 Year SMWS 54.80 “Banana Mexicana”

Highland Park 17 Year SMWS 4.255 “When pineapple met pigeon”

Highland Park 17 Year SMWS 4.255 “When pineapple met pigeon”