Tomatin 12 Year Bourbon & Sherry Casks

Liked this quite a bit. Butterscotch in the nose. Nice peaty grassy balance.

Review transfer from Barreled from September 2016. This review is for the newer bottle style that is labeled as Bourbon & Sherry and not just Sherry Finished as stated on the old style bottle. 43% ABV and it appears to be colored and chill filtered. Nosing the cork, which I always do before a pour, I pick up on the bourbon barrel influence immediately. I also wipe any excess whisky from the neck after the pour with my hand, rub my hands together and nose that (it really gives a good indication of what you can expect in the glass). Again I get more sweet bourbon with vanilla. Nosing the glass however is very different in this case. The bourbon is there, but the Sherry cask influence really shows up with the typical raisin/dried fruit notes. Red apples and pears are present with some brown sugar, showing there is still some bright youthfulness to this single malt. The longer it sits in the glass the more sweetness comes out. On the palate there is an initial mild spicy arrival and it actually has some peaty undertones. Very sweet in the development after about 15-20 minutes in the glass. Nice oily mouth feel that may indicate that it is not chill filtered after all. Oak spices, vanilla and a sort of spicy sweetness on the finish, which is medium in length. My guess is that Tomatin is fully maturing in both ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks, then blending rather than Sherry cask finishing. Even though it is quite diverse and fun to nose, this is still a middle of the road scotch. Good for guests who like bourbon and scotch but don't want anything too powerful. I would give this a 3.5, but the fact that I got this for $33 raises it to 3.75

Gentle heather honey and bright tree fruit (apple/pear) sweetness. A occasional lingering taste of coffee beans interestingly enough. A small step below Glenrothes Select Reserve as it’s not as sweet or complex. Still a good light scotch, and well priced. $60 in Ontario.

can not not the spice but the smothness is good