Tomatin Legacy

Spicy, fruity nose, slight burn in the throat

On this side of the Atlantic, I'm having a nip of Dualchas rather than Legacy...sounds like trademark issues were involved. I had rock bottom expectations here; I didn't love the 12 year when I had it in Inverness over the summer, but after hearing the Scotch Test Dummies rave about Dualchas as a tremendous value, and then catching their livestream with a couple of guys from the distillery (worth finding on youtube), I had to try it. And, at $25 for the bottle...why the hell not? I can hardly order takeout for that much anymore. On both the nose and palate, it's a very light, delicate dram - the nose has a milky breakfast cereal quality, with a bit of vanilla and honey. Cereal with vanilla yogurt, maybe? The palate is fairly grain-forward, but speaks to the distillery's stated goal of creating an entry-level NAS that was profoundly different in taste profile from the 12 year...and it is that. The bourbon cask influence here does come through with a bright, sweet vanilla quality, though it's a bit thin in terms of mouthfeel. This is a perfect gateway scotch for someone who "doesn't like" scotch, but will drink Irish or bourbon. I don't see it becoming my go-to, but at $25, at least I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Gift set sample. Nose: Apple juice, pear, vanilla, malt Palate: Orchard fruit, sweet, vegetal note of thick end of a thick carrot. Finish: Short, dry. A bit of a Johnny one note. Not much depth or complexity. I'm guessing this NAS whisky is fairly young. Drinkable. 72 points, 3 stars.