Tomatin Decades Limited Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2011) 70cl
A very unique bottle of whisky indeed
This unique Single Malt was crafted to celebrate one man’s lifetime commitment to the Tomatin Distillery. Native to Tomatin, Douglas Campbell had worked for the distillery since 1961 in a number of positions before taking on the role of Master Distiller in 2008. In his role, he spent much of his time assessing the thousands of casks that lie maturing in the vast warehouses of Tomatin or travelling around the world promoting the distillery’s single malt.
In recognition of his 50 years service at Tomatin, Douglas created a Single Malt using whiskies distilled in each of the 5 decades he worked at the distillery. Starting with a 1967 cask and moving through each of the subsequent decades to the year 2005, Douglas chose whiskies that not only have very distinctive individual characteristics but are also versatile enough to marry together to create a single malt that is a genuine one off.
Called simply ‘Decades‘, this single malt is a marriage of maturity and youth. It is a coming together of sherry and bourbon influenced whiskies, of differing ages, to create a single malt that has great depth of flavour but also a youthful charm that helps to invigorate the taste buds.
Released in 2011, the aptly named expression Decades was bottled to mark the five decades of service given to Tomatin Distillery by Master Distiller Douglas Campbell. He started working at the site in 1961, he then moved up the ranks and in 2008 became their Master Distiller. Fittingly this expression was made from different Casks distilled across his five decades of service to the distillery, they include:
1967 – Refill sherry hogshead
Distilled on the 17.05.1967
“This is some of the oldest Tomatin in existence. It’s a sherry influenced whisky with subtle flavours of beeswax, stewed apples and orange peel. It takes a little time and effort to identify its characteristics in the finished product, but they are definitely there!”
1976 – Oloroso Sherry Butts
Distilled on the 07.12.1976
“ Tomatin in its 30’s is a fruity animal indeed, especially when locked inside a sherry cask. Passion fruit, blackberries and honey dew melon are big flavours that help to tone down some of the more robust flavours that are present in the younger whisky.”
1984 – Refill sherry Hogsheads
Distilled on the 21.06.1984
“These casks were part of fantastic parcel of re fill sherry hogsheads that I stumbled across several years back. These are some of the best I have encountered at Tomatin and I think they give the whisky real body and depth. It is definitely worth looking out for a 1984 single cask bottling in the future!”
1990 – First Fill Bourbon Barrels
Distilled on the 24.09.1990
“Vanilla, raisins and toffee are the dominant flavours here. This whisky has a big personality and wants to be noticed, however, it is being kept in check by the 1976 and 1984 which have equally big characters! “
2005 – First Fill Bourbon Barrels
Distilled on the 07.12.2005
“Young and invigorating. The youthful vibrancy works well with some of the deeper flavours of the older whiskies. This delicately peated whisky adds an element that you might not associate with Tomatin, nevertheless I think it works well in the overall scheme of things”.
TASTING NOTES
Aroma: A lovely sweet maltiness gives way to juicy, fruity aromas of fresh peach, apple and pear with gentle hints of dried apricots and raisins. Delicate flowery notes sit on top of rich pine and robust oak wood. The hint of a distant smouldering fire wafts about in the background.
Palate: The taste buds are tantalised by intense flavours of tropical fruit, rich Christmas cake, aniseed, cinnamon and creamy fudge. The rich malty sweetness returns with a nutty edge.
Finish: Mellow and memorable, like the man himself.
About Tomatin
Always an intense, high-toned and fruity spirit (its oldest expressions move into the realms of tropical fruits).
It is Tomatin’s much improved wood policy which has brought it to the notice of single malt lovers. A higher percentage of first-fill casks – ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry – has given more flesh and structure to the always top-notch spirit.
Although the first manifestation of Tomatin only ran between 1897 and 1906, its reopening under new management in 1909 saw the start of a remarkable journey which would culminate in this remote Highland outpost in between Aviemore and Inverness becoming the largest malt whisky distillery in Scotland.
Its expansion (and contraction) mirrors accurately the mood of the industry: from two stills to four in 1956, four to six in ‘58, an upping to 11 in ’61 and then in 1974 the most dramatic expansion of all, with 12 stills being installed, bringing the total to 23 and overall capacity to 10m litres per annum.
It couldn’t last. Even in 1974 the first indications of a downturn in Scotch’s fortunes were being noticed. Tomatin never ran at full capacity and in 1986 went into liquidation.
The site was saved however by two of its Japanese bulk customers, Takara Shuzo and Okura & Co [Okura’s stake was taken by Marubeni in 1998], making it the first Scotch distillery to be under Japanese control.
There has been a slow but steady recalibration ever since. The company bought blending firm J&W Hardie in 1997, adding the prestigious Antiquary blend to its portfolio. Eleven of the stills were taken out of commission in 2000 and today only 2m litres are produced from six wash and four spirit stills.
The other major change has been a shift in emphasis from bulk supply to single malt (as well as Antiquary) – again Tomatin is mirroring the market's continuing evolution. The single malt range has been widened in terms of age statements and introduced a peated variant, Cu Bocan.
46% ABV
70cl
