Review by: Raygun

One feature of the Distell group (Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tobermory) is the number of special editions with various maturations/finishes. I’m not sure if there’s a Tobermory Amontillado out there, but I know there’s PX, Manzanilla, Fino, and Oloroso. I’ve had a bottle of the Fino open for a while and when I got hold of a sample of this older Oloroso release, I figured it was a good occasion for a side by side. Fino is similar to Manzanilla, a type of sherry that matures under a layer of flor that prevents oxidation, leaving it lighter in color and without the pronounced fruit flavors commonly associated with sherry. Oloroso is fortified to an alcohol level that prevents the growth of flor, leaving it to mature oxidatively, resulting in a darker color and more fruity and nutty flavors. Fino is my bottle; Oloroso was a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Tobermory 12 Fino 

Distillery: Tobermory  

Bottler: Tobermory  

Region/style: Island (Mull) single malt Scotch

ABV: 55.1%. Cask strength. 

Age: 12 years. Distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2018. 

Cask type: Fino sherry finish, 1710 bottles.   

Color: 1.6 mahogany. Natural color and non-chillfiltered. Fino is lighter in color than Oloroso, so it’s interesting this is darker. Might be initial bourbon cask aging contributing the color.

Price: Around $110

Nose: Brings the Tobermory funk. Marinated mushrooms with some sharp herbs. Rosemary, maybe epazote. Some anise, too. Also notes of a funky cheese.              

Palate: Dry and salty, which makes perfect sense for Fino. Green olives, funky cheese, and ham. More conventional than the nose though. There’s some richness, too, and I’m attributing that to the presumed bourbon maturation. Toffee with pistachios. Really pops with some water. Takes on a little ginger ale and green mango. Air time helps, too. 

Finish: Toffee, pistachios, walnuts, and some pastry. Has the salty flavors of the palate, the olives especially. Slightly odd combination, but I like it. Much improved with water here, too. A touch sweeter, but there’s some tart grape and apple, too. Gets richer as well. Notes of soft cheese, like Delice.

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Tobermory 17 Oloroso

Distillery: Tobermory

Bottler: Tobermory    

Region/style: Island single malt Scotch

ABV: 55.9%

Age: 17 years old. Distilled in 2004 and bottled on August 11, 2021     

Cask type: Oloroso casks, 11124 bottles. 

Color: 1.3 russet. Natural color and non-chill-filtered. It says Oloroso matured rather than finished, but I’m guessing a good percentage of refill casks.

Nose: Similarly rye-forward, but this has an extra richness to it, like brioche or cake. Yeast, green gNose: Plenty of Oloroso funk. Sulfur like overcooked eggs. Leather, chocolate-covered cherries, figs, and some sauteed mushrooms. Sharp alcohol. Very dry and musty.                        

Palate: Fairly grapey at first; I could believe it’s a table wine. Mushrooms with balsamic vinegar, chocolate, leather, roasted tomatoes. A pretty savory Oloroso with some distinct saltiness. Somewhat tart, too. More red wine vinegar than balsamic now. Some sulfur harshness that I’m struggling with.

Finish: More vinegary. Still very much on the savory side with leather and mushrooms. Some soy sauce as well. A little bit of sweetness with figs, but not a lot. Not much fruit to this one. Sulfury here, too. Very dry and austere.   

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Conclusion: This Oloroso seems to be pretty divisive based on the Whiskybase reviews, and I can understand why. Strongly sulfury, in an egg and cabbage way. And vinegary. It’s an odd duck all around, and not to my taste. The Fino, on the other hand, is also somewhat strange, but in a different and (to my palate) more pleasant way. Sharp and savory even compared to other Fino casks. I rather enjoyed the cheese and nut flavors. I wouldn’t call it a crowd pleaser, however. Water made a big difference (for the better), whereas it didn’t do much to the Oloroso. The Fino is the clear winner here, though neither is as good as the 21 Manzanilla, obviously a much pricier bottle.

Score:
Fino: 82
Oloroso: 71

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)