TOMATIN’S WAREHOUSE 6 COLLECTION & SPECIAL CREATIONS

42 YO Highland Single Malt ex-Sauternes Cask Released

Tomatin Distillery, located on the North-East Coast of the Scottish Highland Region, released their fourth expression of the acclaimed Warehouse 6 Collection, The 1977.

This luxury whisky is the first in their history to be matured in a Sauternes wine cask, resulting in an exceptional explosion of tropical flavours. This limited cask yielded just 390 bottles at 49%.

As with every Warehouse 6 release, each expression pays tribute to the Tomatin craftsmen that have been custodians of exceptional Scotch for generations. The 1977 is no different, and as with the previous luxury expressions in the series, (the 1971, 1972 & 1975), each of the 390 units is decanted into an exquisite hand blown Glencairn Crystal decanter with unique copper decoration. This luxury bottle is presented with two glasses (also Glencairn Crystal), a solid copper stopper, along with a numbered certificate detailing the remarkable journey of the whisky.

Distilled on 23rd September 1977, this precious spirit has been gently maturing for the past 42 years in Warehouse 6, laid low on antique wooden rails above cool earthen floor and stacked single level, in a traditional dunnage warehouse.  Cared for by several generations of their craftsmen, their dedication is perfectly matched by the complex meteorological conditions that surround the towns of Sauternes and Barsac to produce extraordinarily sweet wine. These fruity notes have influenced the whisky over time, resulting in a luxurious expression that dances across the palate for a gloriously long finish.

Tomatin 1977’s three predecessors in the Warehouse 6 Collection:

1. Tomatin 1971: Distilled on August 7, 1971, matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, 252 bottles with 45.8% ABV, bottled on May 16, 2016, released on June 30, 2016. 45 YO.

2. Tomatin 1972: Distilled on November 20, 1972, matured in three sherry hogsheads, 380 bottles with 42.1% ABV, bottled on February 10, 2014, released in 2017. 42 YO.

3. Tomatin 1975: Distilled on December 8, 1975, matured in an Oloroso sherry butt, 300 bottles with 46.5% ABV, bottled on January 8, 2019, released on March 12, 2019. 44 YO.

The 1977 is expected to retail for £3,000 in the UK for a 70cl bottle, and is available to purchase from specialist retailers worldwide.

Source: Whisky.com & Tomatin website. 

Cù Bòcan Creation Series

Tomatin Cù Bòcan is an experimental whisky from the Highland distillery, which is made from lightly peated barley malt and distilled in limited batches each winter. Cù Bòcan means 'ghost dog' in Gaelic. According to legend, the inhabitants of the Tomatin area were haunted by a ghost dog, which dissolved in blue smoke and disappeared over the highland bogs. Since only lightly peated barley is used, every Cù Bòcan creation holds their signature wisp of smoke, reminiscent of the ghost dog vanishing in a trace of smoke. Each edition is thus an exploration in the subtleties of smoke, the characters of the casks and the mastery of maturation. Each bottling of Cù Bòcan is matured in different barrel combinations to bring out the extraordinary flavours in the single malt.

Cù Bòcan Creation #1 (70cl, 46%)

Tomatin's smoky Cù Bòcan single malt range received a new design and new Signature expression in mid-2019, in a brand new series of expressions matured in a selection of interesting casks, called their Creations! Cù Bòcan Creation #1 was aged in Black Isle Brewery Imperial Stout and Bacalhôa Moscatel De Setúbal Wine Casks. An unusually creative collaboration, this intriguing mix marries the best bits of its wine and beer counterparts- a balance of big, chocolaty beer notes and rich, fruity wine, all backed up by lightly peated single malt. No caramel or chill filtering.

Cù Bòcan Creation #2 (70cl, 46%)

The second release in Tomatin's Cù Bòcan Creation series, which sees the lightly peated single malt aged in a variety of intriguing casks. For Creation #2, the whisky was drawn from a mixture of Japanese Shochu casks which made it ethereal and oily and European virgin oak casks that made it full-bodied and warm - not a common combination by any means. An experiment where the Far East and Europe meet. Once again, no caramel colour E150A or chill filtration.