Tobermory 15 Year

Review by: TOModera

So… like I need more hatred with the reviews I’ve been putting up on the internet, however, I think I owe this distillery, and reddbdb to keep reviewing them. Thanks to PACitizen for the sample.

For those of you wondering, I’m not a fan of Tobermory 10. You can find each of the reviews of it I have done, and each one, though different, sucked for very different reasons. It drew some cheers and jeers. I did it again, because I’m a masochist… wait, no, I did it as a clean review.

Suffice to say, I’ve had enough Tobermory 10. So given the chance, I should have avoided Tobermory 15, right? Than I read that people who usually don’t like 10 like the 15.

I still wasn’t 100%. But that’s when you should do something, because that’s how we learn.

This one, versus the 10, is matured in Oloroso sherry casks. It’s given 5 more years. My friend loves the 10, maybe I’ll like this one?

Isle of Mull, I’ll take your challenge.

Distillery: Tobermory Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Isle of Mull, Island, Scotland.

ABV: 46.3%.

Age: 15 years.

Cask type: Bourbon Casks, then an Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish.

Price: $170.00 (CAD) at the LCBO.

Color: Dull brass.

Nose: Strawberries, lemon, light smoke, mushrooms, wet dog, sea salt, pineapple

Initially this smells nothing at all like Tobermory juice. Eventually, slowly, there’s aspects (the sea salt). The bad funk from before has evolved into lemon and wet dog now, which is good. Not perfect, but better.

Taste: Strawberry, sea salt, pepper, mushroom, liquorice, cinnamon, pecan

Very sweet. The sherry aspect is pairing nicely with the earth flavours of Tobermory. There’s even a nuttiness now. No more bad, is good now. Me happy.

Finish: Earth, umami, cherry, orange, lime zest, smoke

Gone is the funky metal, medicinal taste. Instead the bitter aspects are balanced by the sweetness.

This is how to make things better.

Conclusion: This tastes very similar to Aberlour 12 Sherry Cask. There are some aspects that help the sherry, like the additional earth, the sea salt, and some of the light wisps of smoke.

That all said… well, there’s a turd in the punch bowl coming up.

Look, this is a well done sherry cask Scotch. It has some complexity. But in all honesty, it’s interchangeable with other, younger, lower Abv. sherried whiskies. Honestly, this was good, but not great. And for the price that it’s charging, it’s not great. I mean, throw me a bone here: Make it cask strength, or use first fill, or make it a sherry bomb. Don’t charge more than A’bunadh or Macallan Cask Strength or Glenfarclas 17 and then give me something similar.

And that’s why I am giving it a lower score. It’s just okay, and it is overpriced.

Final Score: 80.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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