Tomatin 40 Years Old 42.9% 1967

Professionele reviews

BOW (90)

From Tomatin.com:

An exceptional vatting of seven oak hogsheads, selected by our Distillery Manager, Douglas Campbell, for outstanding quality.

Date distilled - 17 May 1967

Date bottled - 02 October 2007

Matured in - Hogsheads

Bottled at cask strength, 42.9

Serge Valentin (88)

Colour: golden amber.

Nose: this entrancing and extravagant tropicalness that was also to be found in 1960s Balblairs and Lochsides, but almost nowhere else. Ah, yes, Bowmore. Mangos, guavas, papayas (loud) and maracuja in total sync, plus ripe apples as fillers. Plus a little camphor, eucalyptus and menthol cigarettes. A few years ago this style was still rather easily available, but today, they’re gone gone gone, extinct, finished, exterminated on the altar of modern Scotch whisky! Now, it’s also a little fragile and wouldn’t stand oxygen for long, getting a little flat and cardboardy. Don’t sip this while listening to In-a-gadda-da-vida!

Mouth: exactly the same profile as on the nose, flavour for flavour. And a similar fragility, although it’s got a little more oomph and brightness than expected. As often, a touch of earth in the background helps a lot, as only fruits wouldn’t quite do it.

Finish: surprisingly long and zesty, with renewed tropical fruits – and even grapefruits! And certainly bananas.

Comments: as often with these very old ‘T’ whiskies (Tomintoul, Tomatin, Tamnavulin…), there are ups and there are downs, but there’s something slightly antiquated that’s just moving. Remember, whisky is time in a bottle.