18/09/2024 Tomatin

Tomatin 38yo 1976/2015 (47%, OB for Whisky Hoop, C#31, 190b): nose: with no surprise, but a lot of pleasure, we are treated to a deluge of tropical fruits. Peaches, mangoes, persimmon, pomelo, calamansi, yellow maracuja, pineapple. They are softly acidic, mostly sweet and juicy. Some of that is heated, reminiscent of a carrot-and-orange soup made with many more oranges than carrots. We also have a nuance of stainless-steel lemon squeezer. In fact, the deeper one noses this, the more citrus-y it becomes. Covering and shaking the glass revives the yellow fruits (mango, peach), and introduces an earthier touch, unexpectedly: potting soil, tagete planters. Still, inexorably, pomelo and yuzu kick into gear and take over, in the long run. The second nose is a little greener, with reeds and other freshwater plants, alongside something I recognise, but struggle to put a name on -- either rubber splashed with lemonade, or static plastic wrappers for computer boards. It you have ever taken a new motherboard out of its wrapping, it has a very particular smell. Quickly enough, fruits come back, though. Mouth: phwoar! Juicy citrus, skin included, which is to say it is acidic and mildly bitter, despite all that juice. Chewing causes a proper explosion of fruits, starting with ripe tangerines and oranges, followed by mangoes, nectarines, maracuja (yellow and purple, this time), calamansi, guava, and carambola. This is not tOMoH's style, in other words. Ahem. We have a blink-and-you-miss-it lick of rubber -- a fresh rubber seal, to be precise. The second sip seems almost mineral, for a moment, yet rubber seals and exuberant fruits are quick to catch up, much to one's delight. Finish: all the same fruits, smashed to a pulp with a pestle and mortar, and augmented with crushed mint leaves. It is so refreshing it comes close to a minty gel, yet it does not take much effort to find more than just toothpaste in this, no. We have Mirabelle plums, mangoes, yellow maracuja, pineapple, clementines, and a minor bitterness once again. The second gulp is creamier and puts the emphasis firmly on those lush tropical fruits. Mango skins, cut carambola, unripe persimmon, Mirabelle plum, peach. Heavenly masterpiece. 10/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)