New Release: Tomatin 2003 10 Year Old Official Distillery Exclusive #1903

Not following the popular direction of Tomatin, but a young yet simple and good barley character. Tomatin TOMATIN 2003-2014 10yo OB Distillery Exclusive Bottle #1903 56% EX-BOURBON CASK The aroma is youthful and vibrant, with fresh citrus, a hint of peach natural mineral water, plant notes, vanilla, strong barley character. Upon drinking, it resembles lime juice with its sweet-sour flavor, kiwi, oak, and a subtle savory barley depth, without any rawness or impurities, leaving a clean finish. [Good/Very Good] Currently available as a single cask, 10-year-old Tomatin distilled in 2003, exclusively from the distillery. The tropical fruit and peach flavors that made Tomatin famous are not prominent here, only a faint suggestion of peach mineral water. Instead, there's a fresh citrus note, reminiscent of lime juice. While lacking complexity, it feels youthful with plant and barley notes, yet maintains a clean taste without obvious rawness or chemical undertones. It's an interesting contrast to the strongly tropical Tomatin 1993, which is more fruity and appealing but has some chemical nuances. Personally, I find this natural bottling equally delicious. Incidentally, according to recent tasting reports from distillery staff, many casks from the 1970s onwards also exhibit tropical and peach flavors. The distillery staff mentioned that these are natural flavors emerging with aging, not a recent trend, indicating Tomatin's tropical character is part of its house style rather than limited to specific periods. Indeed, revisiting older Tomatin bottlings reveals notable tropical elements. That said, it's puzzling why releases emphasizing tropical notes weren't more prominent until the 1976 bottlings popularized Tomatin. Perhaps we simply hadn't noticed before.