Tobermory 23 year old

Very smooth, lightness , floral, and a bit of sweetness

A Christmas cake in a glencairn. On the nose a combination of sponge cake, silvered almonds, custard and saffron. A strong oaky body gives way to lingering notes of walnut and fig, with a gentle touch of a kelp/seaweed finish.

Nose: Very oloroso driven with nuts, dates, chocolate and orange preserve. Some malt extract notes and raisin/grape aromas. There is a strong sense of very old cask but it is not what I’d call oak-dominated. Maturity shines through but although it is a rich nose it is a little shy. Palate: The arrival impresses immediately with old, mature dark fruit flavours and a dense, full mouthfeel. The development sees spiced orange notes, black coffee, and buttery caramel coming forwards together with rum and raisin chocolate and walnut brittle. Towards the finish a slight salty tang is noticeable. It responds very well to dilution, gaining in every dimension. Finish: Medium/long. Very soft milk chocolate and vanilla. Well balanced. There is just a hint of salty orange peel in the aftertaste. A dash of water does not change the profile but adds a creamy quality to the texture and lengthens the finish. A delicious single malt that was distilled in 1996 and matured in refill hogsheads until 2009, when part of the batch was released as a 15 year old expression. The remainder was further matured in the same hogsheads before being transferred to Gonzales Byass sherry butts in 2014. Initially I thought this was good but a little too laid-back (even “tired” as if it had been over-matured) but the addition of a little water completely transformed it. A teaspoon of water, a light swirl, and immediately it sprang to life retaining its 23 years of maturity but seeming to gain the sprightliness and spicy verve of a much younger whisky. I cannot recommend a dash of water too highly with this – it is a sleeping giant. This is not currently available in Australia but it is selling in the UK for £290. I've been quoted AUD$400-600 for when (and if) it makes it out here, which sounds about right, but as nice as it is I’m not sure it quite deserves that price tag. If you have deep pockets it’s a recommended buy, but otherwise I’d make do with a taste, if you can find it. Still, based entirely on quality and ignoring the price I have to rate this highly. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show, May 15 2021, my tasting #9 “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars) PS - I made an error for this entry - it should be 46.3% abv, not 46%