Tomatin 18 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish – 70cl

Tomatin sits high in the hills south of Inverness, one of the Highlands' quieter giants — a distillery that spent decades supplying blends before it started bottling single malts worth seeking out. This 18 Year Old is the one that changed how people talk about the place.

It spends its long maturation in traditional oak before a generous spell in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts, and you can taste every month of it. Bottled at 46% and left unchilled, so nothing has been stripped out.

The nose leads with dried apricot and orange peel, then walnut and a waft of nougat — that gentle nuttiness is pure Oloroso. The palate is rich without being heavy: honeyed barley, more dried fruit, a curl of ginger and cinnamon, soft oak holding it all together. Water is not essential at 46%, but a few drops coax out the sweeter, spiced side. The finish is medium-long, warming, faintly nutty.

This is an after-dinner Highlander — the bottle you reach for when the evening slows down and you want something with age and polish but no fuss about it.

How to Serve

Neat, in a copita or Glencairn, at room temperature. Add a few drops of water if you want to open up the spice. No ice.

Where to Drink It

Boisdale of Belgravia, for the malt list and a bit of theatre. Dukes Bar in St James's, if you like your drinking quiet and grown-up. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood for a softer, sofa-bound evening.

Food Pairings

Lean savoury here. Roast venison or a plate of cold game stands up beautifully to the sherry richness, and it is very good with a wedge of aged Comté or a mature Gouda. If you are grazing, a few walnuts and some air-dried ham will not let you down.