Tomatin distillery in the Highlands north of Inverness was once the largest in Scotland, with a production capacity that rivalled small factories. Under Japanese ownership (Takara Shuzo), the distillery has been quietly rebuilt as a quality-focused single malt producer. The 14 Year Old Port Wood Finish is matured initially in bourbon casks before finishing in tawny port pipes, adding a berry fruit dimension to the distillery's characteristically sweet, honeyed spirit.
The port finishing is well-judged. The berry fruit — raspberry, blackberry — complements rather than overwhelms the malt's natural sweetness, and the fourteen years of initial maturation provide enough oak backbone to support the additional wood influence. At 46% and non-chill-filtered, the whisky has the body to carry both the bourbon and port cask characters effectively.
Tomatin 14 Port Wood is one of the better port-finished whiskies at its price point. The combination of a well-matured Highland malt with sympathetic port finishing produces a whisky that is fruity, balanced and genuinely enjoyable. Tomatin's quiet quality — the product of careful production and fair pricing — makes it one of the Highland's most reliable and underrated distilleries.
