Review by: Whiskery Turnip

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Distillery: Tobermory.

Bottler: Alexander Murray.

Region: Scotland/Island Single Malt.

ABV: 53.8%. Cask Strength.

Age: 22 Years. Distilled in 1994.

Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt.

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Nose: Dirty and maritime with coastal salinity, rubber tires, rusted iron, kelp-tangled buoys, spoiled tropical fruits, and bruised stone fruits.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, musty, rusty and dirty; earth and mushroom, fruit and fig, maritime salt and subtle rubber harbor buoys, tin roofs and pineapple cannery, grassy sugars with mint and lemongrass toward the end.

Finish: Long and lingering with dried fruits, earth, and sea.

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Mental Image: Dockside Pineapple Cannery.

Conclusion: The aroma was dirty and maritime— abandoned industrial docks or war ruins with salty ocean air, tide pools, and dockside rubber tires.  Rusted iron sat alongside driftwood, kelp, and rubber buoys hinting at sulfur and earth. As if hiking along the coast, fallen mangos and guavas provided a tropical edge, while baked peaches and apricots nodded toward sugary stone fruits. Medium-bodied and oily on the palate with industrial funk and tropical fruits.  Musty shoreline decay with fallen palm fronds and tropical fruit mixed with rusted iron and discarded rubber tires. Earthiness emerged from the sulfur and rubber to produce something like rich tropical soil, decaying logs, and mushrooms.  A fruitier turn came on near the end as figs and coastal salt led past rubber harbor buoys toward tin roofs and the acidic, industrial, metallic quality of an industrial pineapple cannery— very old Hawai’i.  Grassy sugars with mint and lemongrass lingered at the end.  The finish was very long with dried fruits, earth, and sea.

Fantastic and undoubtedly the best Alexander Murray bottle I have ever had. I love the mid-nineties Ledaig and Tobermory, and while this was Tobermory, the dirty, slightly sulfurous cask provided some Ledaig-like funk-adjacent vibes. It was also clearly in line with the “whale” Thompson Brothers Tobermory with its delightful tropical fruits and metallic tin notes.

Overall, fantastic. I love the combination the tropical fruits, tin roof, industrial cannery, and slightly funky rubber-sulfur elements. This was a perfect example of how those dirty industrial or sulfur qualities can come together on a beautifully well-structured and integrated malt.

Final Score: 89.

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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.