Thanks to /u/ScotchGuy_To for sharing this dram
Tobermory. I’ve had ones I like. I’ve had ones I less like. Some might even say I’m not a fan of Tobermory, but a big fan of Ledaig, because I’m a peaty-peathead with my love of peat and all that.
But we’re not talking about peat today, so most of you have already skipped by. We’re talking about Tobermory 17 Dun Bheagan, an independently bottled well-aged whisky back from the time when this hobby could be assumed to sometimes be affordable.
So it’s not cask strength and it’s not from a distillery I’m always nice to. But it is from a butt, so I’m in.
Wait, that makes me sound creepier than normal. I’m saying it’s a butt, so I’m in…. Still not better.
Let’s just get to the whisky, shall we?
Price: € 75
Region: Island
Distilled in October 1995
Bottled: 2013
Cask Type: Butt
Cask Number: 1283
Number of bottles: 816
Abv: 46%
Colour: 10YR 8/10
Nose: Compost with fruit, banana, ginger
It’s hard to get past the compost note on this one. There’s some fruitiness, but think more so you threw out a bunch of banana skins and haven’t taken out the compost yet, not… the bananas themselves.
What was I expecting there? Anyway, there’s fruit, ginger, and a lot of vegetal notes.
Taste: Brine, butter, raisin, ginger, lemon
Alright, nice salt, good butter and raisin note, as well as some heat and acidity. No huge fruit or vegetal notes from the nose, cleaner and put together.
Which is nice, because let me tell you, the standard Tobermory 10 used to have this cumin/vegetal thing and that’s not here. Not stankiness going on at all.
Finish: Pineapple, brown sugar, arugula, cocoa, brine, wheat
The finish is more of the tropical fruit, some molasses, a bit of cocoa/brine and even some cereal. Really grows on you with time. A cleaner, nicer Tobermory.
Conclusion: Given what this used to go for, and what it could grow into, if you’re a Tobermory fan it’s a no brainer. I’m not a Tobermory fan: I’ve had one I really, really liked, and I was (partially) involved in choosing that one.
And I don’t like Tobermory. But this? This is a fruity and salty fun dram that only hints at being from the distillery, then goes really clean. Is it going to change your mind or blow your mind? No, that’s not what this is for. This was a cask that wasn’t going to set the world on fire, so they watered it down and let more people have it. That’s okay, and frankly if that ever becomes a thing again (spoilers: it won’t), then this should be a metric we hold onto for the future.
78/100
Scotch review #1304, Island review #144, Whisky Network review #1958
tomoderawhisky.ca 