Tomatin 25 yo 1988
(53,7%, Malts of Scotland 2014, sherry hogshead, MoS 14026, 265 btl.)
Nose: nicely fruity. Some ‘obvious’ fruits like green apples and white nectarines, but also more exquisite hints of pink grapefruit, green mango / banana. A bit on the unripe side of the fruity spectrum. Some ‘green’ oak and hay. Blonde tobacco. There’s also a slight hint of air refreshener (pine needles) but it’s actually an asset. Soft herbs. Overall really fresh and quite complex.
Mouth: quite gentle given the ABV. Wood spices at first, as well as some dusty notes. Then a slightly leathery hint with the kind of fruitiness of a triple beer. Citrus mostly, some peach. A minty / zesty edge which brings a lot of freshness again. Nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: long, drier (green tea and oak), some mentholated notes and echoes of fruit.
Less sweet than similar releases of the past. A very enjoyable all-round malt, quite natural (hardly any sherry) with lots of freshness. Very fruity, but not a fruit bomb like in the 1970’s. Around € 130.
Score: 87/100