Aged Tomatin 1963-1988 27-43 years old OB & IB H2H x 6

[lincoln imp]

The clear winner was the 1976 Daily Dram, with the 1976 OB and 1965 Daily Dram putting in a good effort.

Scores are for nose/palate/finish

Result

1-1976 34 year sherry butt 51% Daily Dram LMDW - 93/94/91
2-1977 36 year 46% batch 1 OB - 89/93/91
3-1965 43 year 47.1% Daily Dram - 88/91/90
4-1988 27 year batch 3 50% OB - 90/89/90
5-1963 40 year Douglas Laing Platinum 42.9% - 88/86/86
6-1967 40 year 49.3% cask 17904 OB for Germany - 86/85/86

Tasted in this order, youngest to oldest


1-1988 27 year batch 3 50% OB 90/89/90

Nose
Quite a powerful nose, lots of fizzy zest but the fruit is all stewed together such as orange, rhubarb, mango & apricot.
There is also plenty of spice on show which is probably down to the bourbon casks and the sweetness the port pipes.
Palate
Very fizzy like sherbet but not that sweet at first.
The fruit on the nose is here on the palate with slight bitterness from the ripe rhubarb coming in.
The balance is pretty good and there is a big spice note that makes your tongue tingle
Finish
Pretty long, remaining spicy with a hint of cranberry on the finish.
With a few drops of water:-
The nose has opened up and the palate is a little sweeter, not so invasive, balance is still good and the finish is much better, all flavours having a good interplay
Much better than I was expecting, the sweetness from the port pipes really works here.
A good start to my aged Tomatin H2H.

Tomatin 1976 34 year sherry butt 51% The Nectar Of Daily Dram for LMDW 93/94/91

Nose
Potent, full of spice & sherry at first, rich orange soaked in sherry with a little apricot would be a good description.
The stewed fruit note keeps growing by the minute, peach, mango, orange, raspberry and cranberry so a mixture of rich dark fruit with lighter exotic & summer fruit and then a lovely treacle tart note appears.
Excellent
Palate
Wow, that is a fruit blast you do not get very often, rich does not begin to describe it.
Masses of rich dark fruit, plump blackcurrant, redcurrant , black cherry, and the spice is huge, bit of pepper, sweet chilli jam, hint of ginger.
The balance is perfect, this is so juicy
Finish
Not as long as you would think from the palate but everything is in sync with a warm. sweet, syrupy note on the tail.
With water:-
Now this is interesting, because it was so perfect neat and the flavours compacted so tightly adding water is a negative and has released some woody bitterness, so not needed.
Superb whisky when neat, water is a no no, much better neat.

Tomatin 1977 36 year 46% batch 1 OB 89/93/91

Nose
There is a strong cereal note at first, dry hay, biscuity etc.
You get a really nice Turkish Delight note next, treacle, hint of dark honey and then a some mixed sweet spices come in.
I think water may free this up a bit, slightly closed at the moment.
Palate
Creamy with a big spice blast then a wave of fruit that is really good.
There is blood orange, mandarin, hint of peach, apricot, faint parma violet note, bubblegum and then a wave of Turkish Delight, great balance on show here.
Finish
Spice,spice and Turkish delight, with the faintest hint of wood entering the fray.

An excellent Tomatin OB,the price unfortunately is ridiculous and an insult to anyone who knows anything about whisky.

Tomatin 1967 40 year 49.3% cask 17904 OB for Germany 86/85/86

Nose
The nose is closed and on the light side.
Green apple, a little pear, straw. faint smoke and possibly a little peat?
A little white pepper, smells a little raw, certainly does not indicate anywhere near a 40 year single malt?
Palate
White fruits, apple & pear mainly but like then nose hinted at, it is a little raw, rough basically.
Lots of white pepper spice and a little peat.
The thing that lets this down is the lack of depth on show, you expect more from 40 year, if you told me this was 15 years old i would believe you, i don't think the cask was active either.
Finish
A little hot on the finish
with water:-
Little change, still a little rough, balance is poor for a whisky of this supposed quality.

I scored this 89 points average almost 6 years ago, now it is 85, you expect so much more from a whisky like this.

Tomatin 1963 40 year Douglas Laing Platinum 42.9% 88/86/86

Nose
Certainly the nose hints at the age of this whisky, there is some depth on show here.
There is a nice pineapple note mixing with a little lemon and honey, like a lockets cough sweet but much more restrained and less power, but yes there is a menthol note in the background hence the comparison.
Palate
Lots of spice mixing with green apple, a little lemon and faint honey, possibly a little peat but it is faint.
There is also some lemon sherbet, a little whipped cream and faint oat biscuit.
As you go on the spice note increases but the fruit checks it. The green apple note is not that sweet in final analysis
Finish
The finish is not that long & not that interesting either, shame.
With a little water, there is a little bitterness now so better neat in my view.

This is one I was looking forward to tasting alas it did not live up to my expectations, still a decent dram but nothing special.

Tomatin 1965 43 year 47.1% Oat Mint Daily Dram 88/91/90

Nose
Honey, orange & lemon is my first thought followed by mango, cinder toffee there more exotic fruits such as pineapple & mango.
Palate
Masses of stewed fruits that the nose hinted at but also hints of menthol, faint brown honey and then warm brioche with plump raisins.
There is some spice, mainly a white pepper note but it is starting to get dry and the wood is making an appearance now.
This is on a tightrope but the fruit wins the day over the wood.
Finish
The finish,is long and pretty spicy with the fruit staying until the end.
A little water releases more spice, very peppery now but the fruit is still there which is really good, this has good balance.

A nice old Tomatin, Daily Dram certainly know how to pick their casks.
WB 20858 also from Daily Dram is even better
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Pour me a glass please.