Tomatin 1976 Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 34 yo c. 6822

 

 

 

51° 

Distillery : Tomatin -Highlands

Refill Dark Sherry Cask

Independent Bottling 

By Duncan Taylor Limited

Limited Edtion 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2011

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The Rare Auld range is, to my knowledge, Duncan Taylor's most prestigious, a company that is itself already so reputable that it takes the liberty of bringing its own casks to the distilleries of its choice, in order to age the whisky on site. Here we have a 34-year-old Tomatin, aged in a dark Sherry cask and sold in only 301 bottles. This is the famous 6822 cask, and this bottling is well known to the experts, so we're going to have some fun.

Let's Taste It : 

Raspberry coulis, blueberry tart and light woodiness, on a layer of candied vanilla. Blood orange and flambéed clementine skin. A zest of lemon, a slice of pineapple drizzled with grapefruit juice, pomegranate seeds and a slice of strawberry. Gooseberries of all colours, mango, papaya, prickly pears. Crushed blackberries. Wood splinters, drying varnish. Shoe polish, sharpening cream. A sublime balance between the acidity and sweetness of fruits, the wood and the earth. With a pinch of water, it becomes moister, like a forest clearing in autumn, decomposing tree leaves, humus. Game blood sauce, also known as "grand veneur" sauce. Lingonberry jam. Cranberries. Chiselled palate, with red plum, muscat grape, but with intense spices, paprika, ginger, cloves and cinnamon, fennel and nutmeg. I feel like I'm penetrating the wood, licking the grooves, extracting from it an essential oil. Walnut powder. It's a bit syrupy. Red fruits in the background. Very long finish, charcoal and rich earth, black, green tea, vegetal touch, bay leaf. Mustard seeds. Aniseed, light cottony bitterness. Drops of fresh water. Liquid honey.

 

In Short, 

How can I put it briefly? It's quite simply a killer, as we say in the jargon. The nose is absolutely exceptional, one of the best I've ever smelt. The palate is a little lower, with a very slight bitterness that I didn't like, but it remains at a stratospheric level. The finish is very long, never-ending, and takes us through different states. This is a whisky of incredible complexity and balance, and that nose, my goodness that nose... In a few words. This is one of those bottles you can spend a lifetime looking for, and which is worth every sacrifice.

Note : 92

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                            Jeff Buckley - So Real