Tomatin Oloroso

The nose of this scotch came of quite sweet as notes of caramel and toffee competed for dominance. As my nose drifted closer and closer to this pleasantly coloured taster, I started to detect vanilla, nuts and fruit.

With anticipation I went in for a taste. My nose was correct and tasted very much like sweet caramel, almost too sweet, but wait what’s this, a little bit of an oak flavor to round out and balance the sweetness comes into play. These flavors danced a great duet on my tongue, always flirting on the edge of overpowering, than fading as the other took the lead. When the duet finished all too soon, curtains refused to fall on the performance. The flavour lingered as my taste buds cheered, and I found myself begging for an encore. To my delight, I looked down to see a tiny bit left in my glass and thought to myself with excitement, as I greedily drank what I should have rationed better, as to what dance will I experience this time.

Obviously I thoroughly enjoyed this Scotch. Although I did find a balance, initially it is rather sweet leading me to believe 2 glasses would be plenty for me before overload. This would pair nice with any savory dessert, such as a panna cotta with foie gras. This would be a nice bottle for any collector to put into their collection.

Oban Little Bay

The nose on this was slightly malty. I could detect honey, oak and maybe dried fruit. As I brought the glass closer this did not change, it just intensified. As I took my first sip, I was hit with the dry fruit element, waxy honey, and a strong oak.

As this rolled over my tongue, it started to mellow and I could slightly detect an orange component that surprised me as there was no hint of citrus until now. I found this scotch finished clean, a good one to sip on a summer patio all evening long. This scotch would pair well with seafood, or Mexican dishes as I think the sweetness from the fruit and honey would benefit from a spicy component that I did not find present in my glass.

Overall I enjoyed this scotch. At a $100 a bottle I do feel there are better choices for that price point. If you find an opportunity to taste this it’s definitely worth a try, but I will pass this one over when it comes to my personal collection.