ralfy review 756 - Tomatin 15yo Moscatel @ 46%vol:

[@rrketc2]

Sipping here on a Tomatin 9 year exclusive Caribbean Rum maturation. Incredible quality for the price. The spirit combines wonderfully with this rum cask! Pinapple, coconuts, green apples, creamy mouthfeel. Superb for only 9 years!

[@robfut9954]

Whenever you say “somewhere IN the Irish Sea” I think of Sponge Bob... like you’re actually IN the sea...

[@stihlnz]

Ralphy , you personally are responsible for the tragic state of my Visa card being so hot its fizzing through 10,000ft of ice down Antartica. It can't be stored in water anymore. Thankfully I have almost 200 bottles of some very good SM's. Good on you. I wonder if the distillers know what an influence you have on purchases. ?

[@degmar]

14:10 - "We are concerned about exploring these single malts on their own merits beyond the advertising and presentation of the label. It's what's in the bottle" - unless it a NAS, then it's what's on the label.

[@MkUltra75]

I loved the old Tomatin 18, and of course my Tomatin 30 it was wonderful

[@Marshmish]

I bought the 14 yo Port cask version. Non chill filtered and natural coloured at Dumfies Whisky Festival so pleased to see you review this one as I'm enjoying this 14 at the same time ! Nice one pal.

[@MrBillybonka]

I did too last week... 54eu in NL. Pretty good stuff

[@Durian1st]

Correct and Fair score - The whole All details of each product. My son and I like your Tweed Hat.

[@djscottdog1]

On driving up i called it tomato tin, turns out it was the right way of ponouncing it. Very good tour , was just me and my girlfreind. I like their bottles

[@djscottdog1]

Your right about leaving it in the glass, the whiskys that are given a long time in wine casks (5-10 years) need time in the glass, i have a bottle of arran , ten years in tuscan wine and it needs time to open up

[@BravingTheOutDoors]

I had a thought the other day that seems suitable here. There are those whose interest is in working their way through a bottle slowly and there are those who like tasting hundreds of whiskies. I’m in group A. There is so much variety today - so much to choose from… that I truly need to be inspired in order for me to choose one thing over another. There is limited time. There is budget. It’s all about prioritising. From what experience I had I never found Tomatin very inspiring. It never had that oomph… that character. For this reason I don’t see myself trying this one. Good video though.

[@MaxsCognacReview]

Great review! You seemed to enjoy it, 87 seems a little low. Cheers

[@badasspuppy]

I really love Dry White Port. If you find a bottle of Niepoort Dry White, be sure to try it. Regular port is too sweet and grapey for me, but DW is way more to my liking. I'd love to try a whisky aged in that.

[@janteun3]

please ralfy do the tomatin 14 years old port cask finish as a review

[@DennyMelanson1]

Recently picked up a bottle and just opened it, lovely stuff. Appreciate that it's something off the beaten path, nice to change it up once in and while. Great score. What would you suggest they could have done differently to earn a higher score?

[@djforklift]

Bought a bottle of this with 16 years, which is only available at duty free stores, as a present. Hopefully I will be invited to try.

[@GregsWhiskyGuide]

Nice review, Ralfy, agree with your statements !

[@ADSCP]

What other Moscatel whiskies are there?

[@excelsiortrading8050]

As Tomatin was forced into liquidation in 1984, Takara Shuzo joined forces with the respected trading companyOkura and purchased the distillery, forming the Tomatin Distillery Company Ltd and thus creating the first fully Japanese owned Scottish distillery in 1986.

[@alexk3088]

I appreciated Ralfy's passing acknowledgement that the "consumers" do enjoy their whisky (purchased on appearance or the brand reputation) "on their terms". First of all it's true. People enjoy what they buy and drink, even if they don't know much about it or can't appreciate the finer nuances. But importantly: we don't want all of them to become "customers" - the cheap blends "pay the bills" of distilleries. I suspect that a healthy amount of substandard whisky is an unavoidable byproduct. And then, if everyone only wanted quality single malts and better blends, we would all pay a higher price. No, let the cocktail drinkers enjoy their concoctions. And let the casual collectors buy their branded NAS malts. I don't want every bottle at the store as "craft presentation", I enjoy the "hunt". I appreciate venturing outside of the branded "loud" names per Ralfy's helpful advice. This is absolutely a normal, healthy state of affairs. It's like that with everything.

[@mark5ization]

Tomatin has hit the big time (at least the standard 12 .... or 10? year old). It's been on offer at my regional supermarket chain in the U.S. for at least the past year or so. With their production capacity, no wonder. -And the standard Aberfeldy is big on the shelves at Sam's Club, too - probably 'cuz Walmart has a deal with the company that owns Johnny Walker/Aberfeldy :-/

[@excelsiortrading8050]

Don't forget that Tomatin is the first Scottish distillery sold to foreign owners, the Japanese, hence why their first product the 12yo came in a red and black box, a nod to their national colors, I've enjoyed Tomatin since before 2012

[@nkr1159]

Hi Ralfy, A big fan here in need of a recommendation. My home is the peaty camp (Ardbeg, Laphroaig ), though very open mindedly enjoying a delicate Balblair (99 3rd ed), swayed most certainly by your odes to that fine distillery :). I can forgive a few rough edges in my pursuit of a malt with character (a recent Tomatin14 I found a little lacking in such despite being very pleasant and rounded). So, which 1 of the following would you recommend: Lagavulin 8 (punchier than the 16?), Edradour 12 Caledonia, or for a little more money Talisker 18 (the safe choice since I like the 10) ? Cheers!

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . all three are good, (loved the cal12) and don't forget Springbank !

[@nkr1159]

@@thewhiskybothyany thanks Ralfy - Cal12 will be then!. Springbank is not easy to find where I live but that and an older Glengoyne will be on the list when I visit UK next - at least to taste.

[@bradgould]

Hey Ralfy, do you think it’s possible for someone to collect a bottle from every currently operating malt distillery? Not just to collect of course, but to taste and blend together!

[@RadioLaboratory]

Brad Gould yea that'd b sum mision maltm8

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . .it could be done, but a confusing blend could result !

[@SightsWithSteve]

What’s your opinion on the special glasses with a raised bit in the middle, and golf ball ice?

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . gimmick, and expensive !

[@blowfly3000]

@ralfydotcom, are you familiar with A Fine Christmas Malt 2018 for The Whisky Exchange? It's a Speyside 17 year old.

[@blowfly3000]

Also Ralfy, it's sherry cask and 58.7% vol.

[@lukasjakubdrabek7050]

See reviews on TWE. Ballindaloch was mentioned which was always a nickname for an independent bottling of Glenfarclas. The last one even mentioned Glenfarclas.

[@janteun3]

en olso please ralfy do the tomatin 21 years old bourbon cask please as a review

[@miserablerhurensohn]

I've had the 14 year old port cask and thought it was too sweet and winey which leads me to think I might not like this 15 year old either. I do have a bottle and a half left of Tomatin 18 year old that I bought about 3 or 4 years ago and that is a fine malt. I use that one very sparingly as it's not available here any more. I didn't care too much for the Cu Bocan. I'd even take the 12 year old over that one.

[@astrazenica7783]

Ocht aye, a good wee dram

[@tomtomjohnify]

Only speaking for germany, I'd say, Tomatin isn't a quiet, discrete destillery at all (anymore). I've been to quite a few festivals lately and Tomatin has always been one of the "big players" in terms of presentation, marketing and all the rest of it. Prominent stand at an exponated location. Their malts are also already available in the ordinary supermarkets for affordable prices... I still like them. The 14yo Port was a bit of a disappointment but I liked the 12 yo as well as some of the new five-virtues-series quite a lot. Water was nice. If they only had age statements...

[@sergeimalynovskyi4940]

tomatin 18 yo in terms of price/quality is a very decent malt

[@markhanson6914]

yes i picked up a bottle for 50usd last week.

[@RadioLaboratory]

com 2 thnk of it, I nevr realy had a disapounin Tomatin

[@gman5986]

@@markhanson6914 That's a great price. Where did you buy it for that?

[@markhanson6914]

@@gman5986 minot, ND

[@ADSCP]

Is it worth €100?

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . expensive.

[@PaulEcosse]

Had a Laphroaig Select that was going cheap at the weekend, £20 out Morrisons. Rotten finish, just awful.

[@RadioLaboratory]

Buchanan12 needs a re-rev Ralfy they seem 2b usin oldr casks 2nd & 3rd fil & cant acomodate a 12 yr ol blend with any dependability these days (wee thin) so sumpins gota giv sumwher. Buch12 was on special ths wk btw. figurz.

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . Blended scotch is getting further "on the rocks" with quality.

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

Hello all you Malty Mad Manx Macerator's !

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks !

[@chrish12345]

sorry 75 quid is too much, knock 25 off and may be worth a shot, in my opinion

[@rasklaat2]

They won't. Whisky market has gone mad. 50 quid maybe could buy you something briefly "finished" in better cask, like bowmore laimrig glenmorangie lasanta or talisker distiller's edition - if you are lucky but whisky that spent longer time in good cask cost more nowadays.

[@jbennison5672]

Ardbeg 10yr is around £40 and is excellent, even compared to most 15 year olds. Clynelish 14 is another excellent dram at half the price of the Tomatin.

[@RadioLaboratory]

Ralfy th "integrity botling wil b sum of yur finest malt moments in '19. 4statz? %abv, un-chill, browne dye...how bout overall presentatuon as star 4? whatevr u decide m8 shud roc ! peace