The Highland distillery of Tomatin has revealed a new series of whiskies and details of the trio of bottlings. The Italian Collection celebrates the distillery's long history of importing Italian wine casks and its success in the Italian market. Each of the three whiskies follows the same path - 10 years of maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks before being tranferred for a two year finish in a different Italian wine barrel.
The Amarone Edition 12 Years Old uses casks sourced from the Veneto region, the Barolo Edition 12 years Old features casks from the Piedmont region and the Marsala Edition 12 Years Old sees the whisky finished in casks from a Marsala winery in Sicily.
Tomatin is located in the Scottish Highlands, about half way between Aviemore and Inverness. It was founded in 1897 by a group of Inverness businessmen and was originally named Tomatin Spey. It then became Tomatin, the name of the local village, in 1907. Tomatin is currently owned by the Takara Shuzo Corporation, who purchased the distillery in 1986 after the previous ownership had been liquidated. It has a current annual capacity of five million litres.
The Italian Collection are all bottled at 46% ABV and are both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 6,000 bottles of each expression. The three bottlings are available now from the Tomatin website and selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £70.
Our Tasting Notes
Tomatin Amarone Edition 12 years old
The colour is deep copper and the nose is filled with warm floral and red fruity aromas - think of redcurrant, strawberry and cranberry with caramel. Confected candy sweets also sit in the background alongside a hint of milk chocolate and apricot jam.
On the palate this whisky feels soft and oily. Red confected fruit leads the way, especially a vibrant note of strawberry jam. This is supported by further notes of caramel, milk chocolate and bitter dried cranberries. The fruitiness seems to increase with time and is accentuated by an evolving background maltiness and peppery spice. A late hint of cooked apple with a pinch of all-spice rounds things off nicely.
Tomatin Barolo Edition 12 years old
The colour is a deep reddish gold and the nose is big, bold and rich. Aromas of caramel and sweet confected fruit dominate early, especially green apple and red grape, and sit alongside further aromas of meadow flowers, raisin and dark chocolate.
On the palate this whisky is silky and smooth with early notes of red fruit, especially strawberry and cranberry, and bitter orange peel. This develops to become more marmalade-like with time. Notes of raisin and sultana are also present and sit with sumptuous dark chocolate and plenty of warming spices - think of clove, cinnamon and mace. The sweeter characteristics fade towards the finish to give a pleasant drying and tannic edge that leaves the mouth watering.
Tomatin Marsala Edition 12 years old
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is full of dried fruits and honeyed aromas - think of juicy sultana plus candied lemon and lime especially. There are also aromas of malted biscuits, cooked green apple and crumbly brown muscovado sugar. A pinch of cinnamon sits in the background.
On the palate this whisky is soft and fruity. A heady mix of flavour notes hit the senses - lime marmalade, golden syrup, juicy sultana, toffee and caramel. This luscious marriage of notes is supported by other expressive characteristics - manuka honey, muscovado sugar, candied lemon, milk chocolate and cocoa powder to name a few. Underlying notes of malt, cinnamon and gingerbread add further depth.
What's The Verdict?
This is a nice collection of whiskies from the often underrated Tomatin. The same whisky has been pushed in different directions by the three wine barrels - the Amarone Edition is full of confection, the Barolo Edition is richer and more tannic, while the Marsala Edition is sweet and rounded. All work in their own way, but if we had to pick one as a favourite from The Italian Collection then it would be the Marsala Edition. Well worth a try if you get the opportunity to sample or buy.
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