Our next “Belgian whisky” is not a new one, it was released last June. Whisky club Fulldram tends to release a club bottling once a year or so, but this time a Tomatin 1976 came quickly after the Bowmore 1999. They said it was too good to let go.
Tomatin 36 yo 1976 “Full metal dram” (49,3%, The Whiskyman for Fulldram 2012, 103 btl.)
Tomatin 36 yo 1976 “Full metal dram” (49,3%, The Whiskyman for Fulldram 2012, 103 btl.)Nose: alright! An excellent nose, full of juicy citrus with a good dose of sherry (I’d say a tiny bit more than usual). There’s tangerine, blood orange, pink grapefruit, apricot, banana and guava. Nice vanilla cake and honey. A little almond cream. There seem to be more mint and grasses than in similar releases, as well as a hint of silver polish (the metallic hint they’re referring to in the epitheton). A little oak polish too, but oak itself is hardly to be found. Superb.
Mouth: very sweet at first, with red fruit jam, cooked peaches, half-dried prunes and then a brighter, very beautiful wave of typical Tomatin goodness: pink grapefruit, passion fruits, tangerine. Lovely depth and complexity. There’s a secondary theme of sweet oak, soft herbs and fruit tea. A nice touch of mocha glaze in the aftertaste.
Finish: very long, softly drying on fresh herbs, with a lot of sweetness still.
An excellent example of Tomatin 1976, probably the best one we’ve had so far. Around € 185 at the time, but all 103 bottles have found a new home already. Not mine, unfortunately, as I wasn’t an official member of the club yet. I’m willing to adopt!
Score: 92/100