Scalasaig Island Hopper Tobermory 2013 Vintage - 46.5%
From the bottler
Into the shelter of its coloured-cottage-lined bay, our journey of discovery has taken us from Scalasaig to the serene seaside village of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.
This is the first in our Single Distillery Vintages Series.
These series’ take ‘parcels’ of stock laid to mature at exactly the same time, from the same ‘Vintage’. In this case, we have married four magnificent casks filled in 2013: numbers 12058, 12059, 12060 and 12061. These whiskies were ‘finished’ for 18 months in the same Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads we used in our Scalasaig Blended Malt.
About the Distillery: Tobemory Distillery was first established as Ledaig Distillery in 1798, reputedly producing a peated style of malt whisky. Today, the distillery makes both peated and unpeated whiskies under different labels.
Bottled at 46.5% strength, this single distillery vintage is non-chill filtered and 100% natural in colour. Limited to 1,450 bottles
Tasting notes
Colour: Bright Gold
Nose: Honeyed cereal, cinnamon pastries and poached pears
Palate: Sweet melon, brown sugar, distant wood smoke, salted peanuts
Finish: Ripe stone fruits and warm spice
Appearance: Yellow gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling as slow, thick legs.
Nose: Cereal bars, a touch of lemon zest, stewed orchard fruit, honey and a little coastal saltiness.
Palate: Light brown sugar, honeydew melon, stewed apple, sultanas, caramel, maritime brine and just a hint of smoky barrel char.
Finish: Salted caramel, worn leather, liquorice, black pepper, cinnamon and ginger spice with a little cooling mint.
Summary: A lovely, well balanced whisky combining fresh fruit notes, indulgent dried fruits, a hint of savoury, some coastal saltiness and a touch of spice. There is just a faint hint of smoke in there, but this definitely isn’t from the Ledaig side of the Tobermory camp.
This is one of those whiskies which starts off light and fresh on the palate before the layers gradually build upon each other, bringing complexity and a solid overall experience. I really enjoyed trying this one and would happily sit and drink it on a regular basis. Currently priced at £67 which feels fair for a whisky of this quality.
I always recommend reading more than one review of any whisky you’re looking to purchase, and in this case we were joined on the tasting session by a couple of the best reviewers I know. So don’t just take my word for it, check out Brian’s Malt Musings and Coldorak’s More Drams Less Drama for their thoughts.
Transparency: this sample pack was received free of charge for independent review. The author has no affiliation with the bottler, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.
If you would like to know more about The Whisky Cellar and their range of whiskies, please follow the link to the company website.
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