2015 OB Release | 46% ABV

tomatin contrast bottles — Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*An at-home blender’s dream*

A peek into Tomatin’s past, and the challenge of a master blender

A recently discovered local stash of a very unique and older 2015 release by Tomatin piqued my interest. Sufficiently intrigued to blend my own bourbon and sherry release and vat a wide vintage of Tomatin’s spirits at home, I liberated my wallet of some hard-earned cash to take a punt on an overlooked release from my ride-or-die distillery.

While there were a few whiskies that piqued my interest early on in my whisky journey, including the ubiquitous stalwarts of Lagavulin 16, Glenmorangie 10, and Balvenie 12 Double Wood, Tomatin was the whisky that made me stop and pay attention. A purchase of an unassuming Tomatin 12 Sherry (the old tall bottle with the red and black label, long since discontinued) to enjoy during a friend’s wedding in a remote and picturesque location in the Canadian Rocky Mountains led to a profound moment — an awakening of sorts.

Maybe it was the ultra-clean mountain air or the turquoise glacier-fed water. Or perhaps it was being surrounded by close friends with no cellular service, forced to peel our gaze away from the tiny black holes in our pockets that devour our spare time and dull our relationships and instead focus on laughter, merriment, and stories until the wee hours of the morning. Or maybe I had enjoyed enough malt whisky before this bottle that my brain was now able to interpret the flavours dancing across my palate, throwing a switch in my cortex with a profound clang that would reverberate through time, never to be unthrown. Regardless of the reasoning, I stood at a whisky precipice with this old bottle of entry-level Tomatin 12 clenched tightly in my fist and memory, staring into a newly presented fork in my proverbial life’s road, lit by a glowing neon sign that read, “This way to whisky adventures”.

The new Tomatin 12 release might be viewed as better whisky by the wider whisky community (I haven’t tried it yet), but with the utmost respect and politeness, I don’t care. Try as you might, you will never erase that bottle and Tomatin as my “aha” gateway whisky. I’m sure if you are reading this, you just might have a particular distillery or bottle that jolted its way into your life like that, and if you are up for sharing it, feel free to drop it into the comments below.

Tomatin is a distillery that I can fall back on, whether in indie or official distillery bottling form, and find a modicum of comfort. It’s fitting, then, that I’m sitting here writing this preamble with my pure white Husky mix pup resting her nose on my leg and paws resting across my arm while I type, finding peace in my presence after we rescued and adopted her nearly two years ago. I’m solidly in my comfort zone here, with kids sound asleep upstairs, unwinding with my wife and pup in front of some Sunday night NFL. We’re soaking up an hour of solace before bracing for another one of the relentless work weeks that have become the norm over the past few years.

Seeing as this is an older 2015 release of only 5,400 sets, information on this unique release is somewhat sparse, including the Tomatin website. In an effort to bring a little extra something to you, the readers that support Dramface, I reached out to the magnanimous Scott Adamson, Tomatin’s global brand ambassador and blender.

It is a total treat and a testament to the global whisky fabric that myself, a complete unknown in the real-world whisky business outside of my alias here on Dramface, can go directly to someone like Scott and get details that are not publicly available. I sent the message to Scott, thinking that I wouldn’t ever get a response, but I was in for a surprise when a few hours later, he agreed to send me some details first thing on Monday when he got back in the office and could dig through the records.

I didn’t even think of it at the time, but according his Instagram account, Scott was busy with a whisky tasting and/or festival at the time and still took a moment to respond to a complete random. Scott, if you’re reading this, I would like to say a big and sincere thank you. You are what makes whisky great.

Now onto some of the juicy tidbits Scott was able to toss my way. When I was considering purchasing the Contrast series, I was very skeptical, as the whisky was predominantly young (mainly 2002 & 2006 distillate) with a few liters of the older 1973, 1977, 1988, and 1991 distillates tossed in for marketing purposes.

Scott cleared that one up straight away. The Bourbon release was made by dumping two casks of each year together, while the Sherry release utilized a single cask from each year. Volumetrically, this makes sense, seeing as bourbon barrels (or hogsheads) are typically 200 L and sherry barrels (or butts) are commonly 500 L. My mathematical side now tingling with excitement, I fired up a spreadsheet to do some quick calcs. Assuming a linear angels’ share loss with age, and equating the overall vatting on a volume basis, 50% of the whisky in each bottle is about 17 years of age, with the 42-year-old portion representing about 11% of the volume. If the angels’ share loss decreases with age due to the diminishing volume in the barrel and smaller liquid surface area in contact with the whisky, then the average age of this vatting might just be older, with the older casks occupying a greater portion of the release.

“This set can still be picked up at auction at a ridiculously good price.”

— Scott Adamson, Tomatin & Cù Bòcan

While Scott did clarify that the Bourbon release is a vatting of two casks from each stated year, I could not find information as to whether they were all first-fill, second-fill/refill, or a combination of both. Given the relatively light colour, I would not be remiss in thinking there is a decent portion of refill barrels in this release, especially given the older ingredients in the mix here.

Review 1/2

Tomatin Contrast Bourbon Cask, 350ml, 46% ABV
~£70 (set) at auction

Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*An effervescent peach cobbler*

Nose

As soon as the cork is popped and I begin pouring, a bubble of perfectly ripened peaches immediately fills the air, much in the same way that peated whiskies can fill a room. A rich and vibrant medley of stone fruits and a hint of minerality reminds me of anCnoc 12 or some Waterfords. A very light touch of vanilla underscores the fruitiness, not overpowering the spirit with raw wood impact. Raw sliced almonds. Hint of key lime pie. This is a delicate and well integrated nose.

To put this whisky into perspective: a fruit salad medley of peaches and apricots covered in light vanilla and barely sweetened whipping cream served in a granite bowl and sprinkled with sliced almonds.

Palate

Contrary to the nose, a decent alcoholic prickle appears, surprising me at first sip as the nose was soft and inviting. On second sip, my brain processes the prickle as more of an effervescence, manifesting into peach slices bobbing in a mug of carbonated water. Retronasal exhales brings forth a surprising pineapple candy. The vanilla notes commonly associated with ex-bourbon matured whiskies are very reserved, presenting more as a background sugary sweetness than an extract.

Lingering peach custard or peach cobbler with whipping cream that seems to last forever. As Phil & Deepa at Whisky Mystery say, this has the magic sparkles and lengthy finish that can be typically found in older liquids.

Score: 7/10 BB

Review 2/2

Tomatin Contrast Sherry Cask, 350ml, 46% ABV
~£70 (set) at auction

Score: 8/10

**Something special**
*What I imagine old-school sherry malts are like*

Nose

Wow, such a difference from the Bourbon. Lively and fresh sherry, then older musty notes appear. Freshly opened bag of dark brown sugar is consistently present. Nuts and cocoa powder. Cinnamon buried under layers of dates and nuttiness. Dark toffee and old leather-bound books whack you in the olfactories from time to time After I get past the obvious sherry influences, Tomatin’s fruity spirit is buried at the back, providing a lighter backbone of fruit cup syrup to the darker sherry influences.

The spirit evolves in the glass, showing flashes of the youthful casks and the older liquids. Going back after writing each aforementioned note or sentence, something new jumps straight out of the glass every time. It’s wonderful!

Palate

Soft. Luscious. Viscous. Dark praline pie filling heavily spiced with cinnamon. Dusting of cocoa powder or dark chocolate mixed into walnut and Brazil nuts. Demerara sugar on an almost burnt pastry top.

Score: 8/10 BB

The Dregs

I surprised myself here. I generally favour primarily ex-bourbon whiskies and was therefore expecting the Bourbon release to win, but the Sherry release blew me away. It is not as nuanced as the Bourbon release, but the ‘darkness’ of the sherry influences were something I had not experienced before. Perhaps this is the magical and fleeting “old-school sherry” style that some aficionados often refer to, presenting as a chewy, sweet, and spicy concoction largely devoid of the distinct fresh raisins or plums we find in modern seasoned barrels? The Bourbon release is dangerously drammable and I will have to watch the bottle level closely as the small 350 mL bottle will disappear quickly. The Sherry release is a mood whisky, only to be sipped and savoured with the slow passage of time.

Now for the pricing discrepancy that some might have noticed in the above reviews. Recently, a decent stockpile was found by my local Tomatin importer and is being “clearanced” out at 50% off the retail price where I live. Since this release has long since been discontinued, the suggested retail price by Tomatin isn’t available for European readers and I can only provide the price local to me here in Canada.

Now, given some of the historical auction prices that these have fetched (£45-60), the current price of CA$105 (£68) seems very reasonable, and I have reviewed the Bourbon and Sherry releases at what I believe to be the current market price at which most Dramfacers could obtain these unique whiskies. Even Highland Park released similar expressions in 2020, with 17-year-old bourbon-matured “The Light” and sherry-matured “The Dark” bottles in 700 mL – for a whopping £190 each! While these were packaged and sold separately, one could presumably blend one’s own bourbon and sherry Highland Park at home. Given the average age of these Tomatins is nearly identical to that of the Highland Parks, they’re a steal of a deal!

“My top tip for this set is to mix them together. The mix, for me, is better than the individuals.”

— Scott Adamson

While the Bourbon and Sherry releases were a treat on their own, I believe their true magic lies in the ability to blend your own concoction at home. It’s almost as if Tomatin released these whiskies as large sample bottles, choosing 350 mL bottles over the more common 700/750 mL sizes.

As I’m sure more of you do, I keep small 50 mL and 100 mL bottles of whiskies I have tried, maintaining a small library of whisky time capsules to be opened at an undetermined time in the future. Sometimes the samples are of whiskies I did not like but saved a sample of to return to in the future, to see if my palate would change and I just wasn’t “getting” the whisky at that time. Sometimes the samples are of whiskies I have enjoyed which are no longer available, allowing me to relive memories associated with special drams. Or sometimes it’s to save samples for the mere enjoyment of blending my own whiskies at home.

I have fond memories of making late-night concoctions that were magical – and then, changing one small ingredient could flatten the entire whisky and make it lifeless and boring. It does allow one to truly appreciate the skill of master blenders and I recommend completing these experiments for yourself at home.

Much as Dougie played scientist with a Kilkerran, let me now try my best to be Graham Eunson or Scott Adamson with these Tomatins.

Bonus Reviews: Home Blending!

Blend #1: 75% Bourbon, 25% Sherry

On the nose, this has a surprising bitterness that fades with time in the glass. Perhaps it was a fleeting off-gassing of the two spirits mingling with each other for the first time. It maintains the peachy, light fruit tones of the Bourbon release while slightly amping up the sweetness of the vanilla and whipping cream aspects.

The pineapple note appears more prominently now, playing a supporting role to the peaches and vanilla. More viscous and sticky than the Bourbon release, with a mild lingering nutty bitterness that replaces that release’s vanilla custard finish. The effervescent prickle of the Bourbon release is still present. I haven’t had the modern standard release Tomatin 12 (bourbon & sherry) in a couple years, but this comes awfully close to my memory of that whisky.

Score: 6/10 BB

Blend #2: 50% Bourbon, 50% Sherry

On the nose, this is more of a chameleon blend, with no readily identifiable features from either Bourbon or Sherry components. A medley of peaches and dates in syrup. Some slight nuttiness in the background.

This is a very well integrated and balanced blend but the chameleon characteristics carry through from the nose. Very intriguing. The Sherry component has tamped down the Bourbon prickle. Never having made it before, a baked date and peach spice cake loaf drizzled with golden syrup and lightly dusted with cinnamon pops into my mind immediately upon tasting. Only the tiniest amounts of nutty or bitter notes to be found.

Score: 8/10 BB

Blend #3: 25% Bourbon, 75% Sherry

Nuts, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and praline pie are still there on the nose but missing is the brown sugar overture that was ever-present in the Sherry release.

Soft, luscious, and viscous again. The initial palate comes across as a date pastry with small chunks of peaches mixed throughout, heavily glazed with vanilla icing. The latter half of the experience is still primarily composed of the cinnamon spiciness, dark chocolate, and nuttiness of the Sherry release, albeit more tempered and easier drinking with less of a chewy and sticky mouthfeel.

Score: 6/10 BB

The Dregs (for real this time)

I surprised myself here again when scoring the blends. I did not immediately score the 50/50 blend that high, but as time went on and I rotated through the other two blends, the chameleon-like characteristics presented themselves as a more cohesive and enjoyable drink. It would be one that I would not hesitate to serve to either novice whisky drinkers or experienced snobs, whereas the other two had distinct notes remaining from their primary blending component. This meant a less cohesive vatting of the two spirits, with the two different blends being unique in their own way and therefore highly subjective to the person who sampling them. I believe Scott’s quote is correct, with the 50/50 blend being slightly better (it’s actually a 8.5/10 on my note sheet!) than the individual Bourbon and Sherry releases.

My recommendation is to find this unique set at auction if you can before it’s gone forever. I know there are two cases of this stuff stashed near where I live, and I just might have to liberate another set to be squirrelled away for a special occasion.

PS: For any whisky-makers or distilleries reading this article, the whisky nerds would love another release similar to this. I’ll buy one!

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB

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