Tomatin 5 Year Old (bottled ‘80s)

This is an older bottling from end ‘70s, early ‘80s, Italian import (750 ml), with a nostalgic neck label stating: ‘Distilled & Bottled in Scotland Under British Government Supervision’. I got this bottle as a gift from Foamy, a whiskybuddy of the first hour. He had poured it for me previously in August 2010. Time to write a note, is it not?

Ah, OBE in full glory. If you are unfamiliar with OBE, Old Bottle Effect, then this nose will be quite a surprise. Gym shoes. You know, the horrible white sneakers without laces our kids have to wear in the sports arena at school. Steamed mushrooms also comes to mind. Earthy with milk that has been open to long. Interesting? Sure. Good? I don’t think so. It totally overpowers the fruitiness this whisky would normally display. The only think my nostrils can still detect is a bit of caramel.

On the palate, some sweetness does appear after struggling to the surface, but it is also astringently bitter. Caramel again, but absolutely no fruit. No, wait. A hint of pineapple. That is it.

The finish is mercifully short on oak and liquorice.

An object of study is all this bottle is fit for, little else.

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