Tomatin 14 Year Port Casks

Serious port flavor but it didn't rock my world. Didn't seem super complex. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for port.

Jam Bars. Linzertorte. Jammie Dodgers. You know the concept - buttery pastry plus fruity, sweet jam. That's this whisky in a nutshell. Port pipe finishing always seems to lend a jammy, berry-inflected profile, and that's the case here - luscious raspberry jam, with some vanilla and pie crust. The palate is hotter than I would expect from a 14 year old, but delivers the promises made on the nose...plush and fruity, almost decadently so, with a pleasantly mild vanilla note, pastry crust, and a reasonably long finish. I wouldn't call this a complex dram (its flavors are clear and straightforward), but that's no crime...especially when simplicity equals simply delicious!

3.5. Nose is sweet and fruity. Relatively smooth and fruity with a hot spicy finish.

It's time I reviewed another scotch from a dark horse favorite of mine: Tomatin. These guys have quickly climbed the ranks of my all-time favorite whiskies. The fact they offer more great vintages and experimental finishes while keeping their median prices in the $45-60 range is icing on the proverbial spice cake. So, let's get into the 14 year old version that was finished in tawny port wine casks. It comes in at a slightly elevated 92 proof and the 750ml bottle cost me a cool $55 online. The aroma is filled to the brim with red berry sweetness: juicy red raspberries and dark cherry with just a hint of plum. There's a faint bit of toffee and butterscotch but no oak presence at all. This was finished in port barrels for just over a year so there's also a nice red wine tint that deepens and enriches the normal straw yellow whisky. It looks really inviting and smells very sweet. On the tongue there's a remarkable amount of dark fruit. It reminds me of a really potent fruit punch from my childhood. Some might think it's too fruity, but I'm really digging it. There's a gigantic blast of heat towards the end from the alcohol to remind you it's whisky and not Hi-C fruit punch you're drinking and that's actually quite welcome. It's a bit harsh for being 14 years old (I'm basing that off the fact I thought the 12 year was reasonably smooth). Still, this is clearly a dessert dram for sure. The finish is hotter than I expected, but damn if the fruit just lingers and lingers. It's quite enjoyable. It's medium in length and maintains its warmth longer than I expected. This is another winning Tomatin IMO. It would probably work better in the springtime as a nice homage to the changing of seasons from cold to warm, so I may let this bottle hang around through the holidays and return to it on those unseasonably warm Feb & March evenings. If you see this one sitting on shelves near you don't hesitate to give it a try. At less than $60 you won't be disappointed. It's better than a lot of higher priced Highland single malts that cost $10-20 more a bottle. More like 4.25 stars. Cheers.