Tomatin Legacy

Tomatin has been officially producing Whisky since 1897 however off the books it may have been operating since the 1700s!

Tomatin translates from “Hill of the Juniper Bush” making this location ideal for illicit distilling with access to plenty of juniper wood which gives off no smoke while burning.

In the 1970’s Tomatin was the biggest distillery in Scotland and 2nd behind the Japanese distillery Hakushu in the whole world. While the brand recognition may not reflect that level of grandness today, it is certainly a distillery that is held in high regards by Whisky folk.

The Legacy (or Dualchas in the USA) is a non-age statement that is one of few expressions Tomatin produce that is Chill-filtered with added colouring. This release is 80% 7 -8 year old first-fill bourbon with the other 20% being around 4 year old in Virgin oak.

To try to ensure as high standards as possible they get their virgin oak casks sent over from wood experts, Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky.

Shout out to Tomatin Global Brand Ambassador, Scott Adamson for a brilliant tasting.

Experience

While an attractive bottle it doesn’t really stand out from the crowd and could be lost on a busy shelf of spirits. However, hidden behind the plastic seal on the bottleneck, sits a fantastic wooden cork with their branded hog stamped into it. A design feature that is a bit lost in their full logo.

A welcoming yellow-gold hue, it has had colouring added to ensure consistency as well as appealing to the International market.

Nose

I feared that I had lost my sense of smell after struggling to find any aroma from the glass on the first pour. After a tactical taste of this dram, I was relieved that it was down to the very subtle aroma and not from a nasty virus.

After digging like a hog’s snout in a trough, I pick up some sweet vanilla, a little bit of cherry and custard powder. The bourbon cask is certainly at the forefront.

A drop of water doesn’t really release any hidden delights on the nose. Maybe a little bit of banana but that is about it.

Taste

What a contrast! There is a fantastic creamy texture, akin to a toffee milkshake with plenty of malt in the mixture. It avoids being boring by providing a delightful punch of spice between each sip.

On the back, there is fresh cut grass and floral notes providing a more delicate finish than expected. The texture thins out at the final stage but provides an impressively good amount of warmth clinging on ready for your next sip.

Value for Money

Tomatin Legacy was the fasted disappearing act my eyes have ever seen. However, this was mainly due to was shared out with friends which certainly added to the experience and enjoyment I got out of this bottle.

I picked it up for a bargain £21.95 on Amazon (had to double-check this as I didn’t trust my notes!) but it can often be found below £25. I think that price for a good tasting Whisky is pretty decent value.