Whisky: Tobermory 12 Years (1980), SMWS 42.7

Country/Region: Scotland/Island

ABV: 60.7%

Cask: Oak

Age: 12 Years (Distilled June 1980, Bottled Aug. 1992)

Nose: Wood and earth, subtle cream with green grape, varnished wood and menthol, touch of tobacco and muscle balm; sometimes very fresh, otherwise raw— discordant.

Palate: Medium-bodied with sharp citrus and brine, mineral smoke, sea shells on the beach, herbal with tobacco and muscle rub; hints of pandan and mango pastry at times.

Finish: Medium to long with pepper, driftwood, and floral honey.

Score: 7 (82)

Mental Image: Beachcomber’s Flashbacks

Narrative & Notes: Breakfast in the garden— old bamboo and fallen leaves alongside subtle cream, green grapes and sliced golden kiwis.  Varnished wood and a touch of menthol that varied between old cigarette butts to muscle balm danced in the vapors as the aroma veered between freshness and rawness.  The medium-bodied palate was similarly discordant with a sharp citrus and brine washing in with bleached sea shells on the beach and a mineral smoke.  Herbal notions hung in the background with mentholated tobacco and muscle rub— some Salonpas to relax a weary back.  Occasionally the fruity citrus clung on turning into grassy pandan with mango pastries.  The finish was medium to long with pepper spice, driftwood, and floral honey.

A malt from the dark ages of the distillery— this Tobermory dates from the brief period in the 1980s when the distillery came back to life, changed names again from Ledaig to Tobermory, only to shutter again in 1982 and sit silent for the next decade.  While the distillery’s production during the early 1970s, especially 1972, is highly sought after, I cannot think of anyone chasing these malts from the 80s.

I was warned the whisky lacked some coherency and I could see why right away.  The notes and impressions seemed to slip through my fingers as soon as they appeared— one moment the whisky was fresh and clean, the next it was raw, spirited, or peppery.  Fruits, wood, and minerals all swirled in at different times without any particular rhyme or reason to the sudden switches.  There was no clear progression or structure, almost like an overly eclectic music playlist— or a band in which a handful of instruments occasionally slip out of tune.

Overall, a challenging whisky— but a fun one.