Tomatin 12 Year French Oak

This is a wonderful "sipping" Scotch! I bought this bottle 5 years ago. I drank the lovely sister bottle 5 years ago. Cascode has prompted me to make a review, so I have opened my treasured final bottle. Nose is ripe stewed fruit, vanilla, a bit of spice and honey. The palate is redolent of these flavors and basks in them. The finish is medium-long and true to all the previous flavor notes. The mouth-feel is a silken oiliness. This is a fantastic Scotch which I will most assuridly never be able to taste again.

This is a rare find from what I understand. I've only seen it once, and I bought it on a whim. The standard 12 was a surprisingly solid value. This one comes from an older-style of packaging, so I'm not sure how the base spirit has changed since the modern 12. What I do know is that it was finished in French Oak, which I've never found particularly compelling. Let's check it out. Nose: Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Toffee, vanilla, and honey. White pepper and oak. Caramel, brown sugar, and almond. Cranberry. Frosting. Standard Highland nose. Palate: Apple, pear, and apricot. White grape. Vanilla frosting, milk chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Almond, walnut, and chestnut. Orange citrus and honeydew. Raisin, date, and fig. More white pepper and oak. While the notes are the similar, this is much more rich than the nose lets on. Solid. Finish: Orange, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Apple, pear, apricot. Walnut, chestnut, almond, white pepper, oak. It's basically a reflection of the palate. Short-to-moderate length. This is clearly more refined than the standard 12-year. It's a classic sipper. At roughly double the cost, it's not the best value; but then again, I was happy to pony up for an experimental one-off. 3.75/5. It's a solid Highlander. The palate is absolutely delicious. Good stuff here.

Delicate and clean.

Chocolaty and oaky

Smooth and fruity, but also has a bit of a woody kick. Definitely can smell and taste the oak, but this also has a noticeably fruity flavor, like cherry. Warming and sturdy on the finish - it feels like a whisky to drink in a wood-paneled law office after hours.