Tomatin distillery is located in the Highland town of Tomatin, Inverness. It was founded in 1897 during the whisky boom of that time but sadly, suffered bankruptcy in 1906.

It was resurrected in 1909 by the Tomatin Distillery Company Ltd and continued until 1956 when the number of stills was doubled from two to four.

Two more stills were added in 1958 then four more in 1961 and another in 1964 (making 11). 1974 saw the maltings closed and at that time 23 stills were operating to produce 12 million litres of alcohol per year.

1985 Saw Tomatin close through liquidation but it was purchased and reopened in 1986 by Takaro Shuzo Company and Okara & Co. as it became the first Scottish distillery to be owned by a Japanese concern.

1998 Saw Takara Shuzo Co. become the sole owners when they bought the shares of their partner Okara & Co.

Tomatin, 12y, 40% ABV

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Dark Gold

Nose: Slightly pungent farmyard interspersed with touches of fresh herbs, almost mint, but not quite.

Palate: Some hints of creamy toffee, but slightly spicy and also turning into a slightly bitter liquorice wrapped in hay.

Finish: Medium but dry and slightly bitter.

With 3 drops of water: More cheese on the nose and a slightly more bitter, but intense palate.

Overall Impression: Interesting, pour me another 18y please. This one is maybe just a tad young yet.

Tomatin, 18y, 43% ABV

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Nose: Malt interspersed with Austrian mountain cheese

Palate: Very smooth and creamy feel in the mouth with a delicate flavour of liquorice-coated peaches in bourbon vanilla sauce (custard).

Finish: Disappointingly short.

With 3 drops of water: The water just weakens the overall experience and adds a little spiciness, or tingle, on the tongue.

Overall Impression: An enjoyable everyday dram but not too special. Forget adding water.

Tomatin, distilled 1990, bottled 12.11.2008, cask 16352, 58.6% ABV

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Nose: A fresh swimming pool in the middle of an Alpine meadow

Palate: Warm and glowing very floral liquorice

With 4 drops of water: Lighter and more floral, but slightly better without the water.

Overall Impression: A pretty good and unusual whisky, albeit a little expensive at €139

Tomatin "Decades", 46% ABV

Casks from 1967, 1976, 1984, 1990 & 2005

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Yellow (9ct) gold

Nose: Malty with some creamy vanilla, then a gradual development of summer fruits including peach, apricot & cantaloupe melon.

Palate: Initially leafy summer fruits followed by malt and light liquorice followed by creamy vanilla sauce.

Finish: Medium to long, creamy vanilla.

Overall Impression: Most enjoyable, a good evening aperitif or everyday dram.

Tomatin 30y, 46% ABV

Matured in European & North American Oak Casks

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Yellow autumn leaves

Nose: This seems to need more time as initially it's very light and almost sour. Given time this does gradually open to offer aromatic flora, oak & vanilla milkshake., followed by apple, pear and hazelnut.

Palate: Why am I immediately reminded of spicy sausage? Then wood, nuts, papaya, mango and even a hint of white pepperiness.

Finish: Very long and slightly peppery.

Overall Impression: Another very enjoyable whisky, bordering on excellent.

Tomatin 1976, 38y, 46.7% ABV

Cask No.30132, bottle No.675

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Sample thanks to MMA 2016

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale amber

Nose: Musty and mildly toasted suggestions of wood, mixed nuts and marzipan.

Palate: First impressions are of a lovely creamy nuttiness with almond and hazelnut, then comes a fruitiness reminiscent of mango and summer berries (mainly blackberry) and also a hint of non-peppery ginger.

Finish: Very long with a nutty fruitiness.

Overall Impression: Just delightful, a "Great" from Tomatin.

Scotch Single Malt Circle, Tomatin, 28y, 55.3% ABV

Sherry Cask No.29, distilled 12.1.1982, bottled 23.2.2010, one of 574 bottles

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€ to €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Dark oak - amber

Nose: Lots of dark fruits (plums, figs and dark cherries) and nuts. This is very aromatic and slightly sweet with a lightly perfumed character after some minutes.

Palate: Very rich, creamy and slightly spicy mouth-feel with wood, amaretto and those dark cherries.

Finish: Very, very long with that amaretto (marzipan) and the cherries.

Overall Impression: A very big and most enjoyable whisky. Pour me another!

G&M Connoisseur's Choice, Tomatin, 21y, 43% ABV

Distilled December 1988, bottled  January 2010

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale yellow

Nose: Creamy toffee, butterscotch and hints of vanilla. Is that just a touch of smoke too? Perhaps more like light iodine?

Palate: Green apple, melon and light toffee with a background of faint iodine and a hint of white pepper.

Finish: Long and fruity with apple and melon but also expanding to include dark chocolate with oil of orange.

Overall Impression: Very nice!

The Whisky Fair (Limburg), Tomatin 30y, 48.6% ABV

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Nose: Horse stables, nuts, sweet exotic fruits

Palate: Creamy ice cream, apricots and plums

Overall Impresison: A lovely dram which I also think would work at one of my gourmet evenings, served with a dessert of ice cream, apricots and peach sauce

The Whisky Agency, Tomatin 34y, 1976 - 2011, 51.3% ABV

Refill Sherry Butt, one of 309 bottles

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich amber

Nose: Initially quite floral before a definite and almost minty freshness takes over after 2-3 minutes. This is further followed by malty wood and candy floss. The wood expands even further with more time but it always remains very aromatic.

Palate: This has even more power than the nose with wood, lots of herbs and nuts, although primarily almond and brazil nuts which appear to be served in a lavendar wrap.

Finish: Very long and floral wood & nuts with a dash of coconut right at the end.

Overall Impression: Wonderful, my kind of whisky and I'm using that word again; 'Great'.

Chieftain's, Tomatin, 13y, 1996-2010, 50% ABV

Domina wine finish, Cask No.91582, one of 327 bottles

Original cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Golden

Nose: Starts slowly and steadily develops aromatic wood and a light mustiness. Hints of something quite fresh, perhaps even lightly perfumed soap alongside roast beef! Inexplicable, but true.

Palate: Creamy mouth-feel and most definitely herbal roast beef. In fact it's roast beef with a herbal crust!

Finish: Long and lightly floral.

Overall Impression: Lots happening here, but in a light way and as for that roast beef .... Yes! It's different, perhaps strange, but I do like this one!

The Whisky Casks, Tomatin, 25y, 1989-2015, 50.3% ABV

Bourbon Cask

Original cost of this bottle; Unknown

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Pale yellow gold

Nose: Mildly peppery cereal, plain biscuit, wholemeal bread and just a hint of fruitiness (perhaps pear).

Palate: Yes lots of suggestions of cereal or plain biscuit and fruitiness akin to pear, apple and even summer berries towards the end.

Finish: Long with those hints of summer berries.

Overall Impression: Good whisky for an aperitif or summer evening on the patio.