Welcome to the fourth installment of our regular Whisky Under Fifty reviews, where we review a different whisky (or whiskey) that you can buy for less than £50! If you’d like to know more about why we’re doing this series, read our introduction post here. Today’s whisky is Tomatin 12 Year Old. 

Tomatin 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Tomatin is one of the Highland’s hidden gems. Founded officially in 1897, the distillery sits just off the river Findhorn between Inverness and Aviemore. Tomatin’s whiskies are known for being “the softer side of the Highlands”, meaning you can expect lots of delicate, sweeter flavours. Ex-bourbon barrels feature heavily in their core range, giving the whiskies rich vanilla and charred oak undertones.

The 12 Year Old single malt is the first place to start when exploring their range. They also have a non-age-statement entry level by the name of Tomatin Legacy, which is also worth a mention. However, we think for your budget of under £50, the 12 year old is worth springing the extra few pounds. Matured in those ex-bourbon barrels for the bulk of those years, this whisky then undergoes further ageing in ex-oloroso sherry casks to bring more rich fruit and complexity.

Review

Colour: 

Pale gold

Nose: 

Burnt sugar, cooked apples, hints of praline and marzipan – like those little marzipan fruits you used to get at Christmas time. Sugared almonds and a touch of charred wood.

Palate:

More fruit comes through on the palate, with peaches and oranges joining the apples. A silky texture, syrupy and soft, with a bit more of that charred oak and spice to dry it out again and make you come back for another sip.

Finish: 

Medium-long, with the soft fruit flavours carrying to the end.

Overall Thoughts: 

Extremely well balanced, although on the sweeter side, this definitely hits the spot for a refined and delicate Highland dram. This would be a great session whisky, as it goes down smoothly but the flavours keep you coming back for more.

Flavour categories: Sweets, Bright Fresh Fruits, Musty Dry Spice

Get it here for £37.99.

Try Tomatin 12 Year Old if you like…

Fans of elegant, sweeter whiskies like Macallan or Glenmorangie wanting to branch out a little would find this a great place to start.

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Want to read more reviews in the Whisky Under £50 series? Check out the previous review, Kilkerran 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky.