Tobermory 21 Year Old

The newest addition to Tobermory's core range, and the oldest — which tells you something about how little of this there is. It comes out of the distillery on the harbour front on the Isle of Mull in small batches only, and it is the unpeated Tobermory spirit rather than the smoky Ledaig made on the same stills.

The cask history is worth knowing. The spirit went into refill casks in December 1999 and sat there quietly until February 2015, when it was moved into Oloroso sherry casks for the last stretch. That is a long, gentle first maturation followed by a deliberate finish — the opposite of trying to fix young spirit with a heavy cask.

The distillery's own note gives cherry wood, brown sugar and caramelised pineapple, and the pineapple is the giveaway. Tropical fruit like that is what happens to well-made malt left alone in tired oak for fifteen years; the Oloroso then layers brown sugar and a dry, woody spice over the top without burying it. There is a faint saltiness underneath, which is what a lifetime maturing yards from the Sound of Mull does to a whisky. At twenty-one years old and £195, this is one of the more honestly priced island malts of its age on the shelf.

How to Serve

Neat, in a tulip glass. At this age it needs nothing, though a couple of drops of water will lift the tropical fruit if you want to chase it. Give it time in the glass — the Oloroso element takes a few minutes to settle.

Where to Drink It

Soho Whisky Club, for the company and the glassware. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood if you want a deep armchair with it. The American Bar at The Savoy for a proper occasion.

Food Pairings

Smoked mackerel pate on good bread — the oily fish and the whisky's saline edge work in the same direction. Otherwise a hard aged cheese, or roast partridge if the season is right.