Tomatin 12
Posted Dec 3, 2015, 4:29 AM UTC
416
$80 - dang. It's usually about $25 here.
2
Yeah, we get absolutely screwed on liquor prices. And our selection is usually pretty low. And you're not allowed to buy online in Canada, so you're actually stuck dealing with the crappy selection at awful prices. Government enforced theft.
4
Selection isn't too bad in Québec if you're close to Québec City or Montréal. However there are more and more products that are available for online orders on the SAQ website: you can order bottles and get them shipped to a nearby store and pick them up there. Not sure how it is in Newfoundland though.
1
Yes, but the problem is that none of us can order, say, a small sample of that $500 bottle. This is possible in a lot of other countries, through online stores such as Masters of Malt. In Canada, that's illegal.
And don't get me started on the outrageous amount of tax applied to alcohol in Canada: it's a relic of prohibition that is being used as a cash cow, pure and simple. There's no reason I should be able to take a 45 minute trip to St. Pierre (France), and pay less than half what I pay for the exact same bottle in St. John's. The local liquor board keeps spewing the "higher transportation costs" line, but honestly transportation costs are even higher to St. Pierre, so clearly that's not the issue.
To make matters worse, the local liquor board owns and operates their own bottling plant, giving them a vested interest in keeping prices high, as well as the regulatory power to do so and a total monopoly on the market. It's absolutely crooked.
1
Have you tried the 18? I've only tried that one, but the 12 seems tempting at that price point.
1
Sample of Tomatin 12 year old, 43%, sherry cask finish. I was gifted this sample and decided to review it. I know I've tried the Tomatin and Cu Bocan line before at whiskey shows, but can't quite remember them. The distillery itself is located on the outskirts of Inverness, in the Scotish highlands.
Nose: A light hint of pears and grapes. Very light smoke odour, but that could be my nose playing tricks on me.
Colour: A bit on the caramel side, but fairly light.
Taste: The caramel flavour is actually fairly strong, with a distrinct butteriness. It is, however, fairly neutral in terms of sweetness (not too dry, not too sweet). There's definite fruitiness going on in the background, but it's largely overpowered by the caramel. Absolutely no smoke or peat, although a bit of an earthy taste at the end (think coriander).
Finish: A bit on the burny side, although lasting a good stretch. Not much flavour development, falls a bit flat.
This is a nice scotch, without many frills. I'd peg it at a solid entry scotch, something along the lines of a Highland Park 12, but without any smoke or peat (obviously). I'd give it a 76/100. If you can get it under $60, it's worth a try. Around these parts (Newfoundland, Canada), I'd be surprised to see it under $80, at which point I'd go for something else.