Tobermory 27 (1995) Thompson Brothers

Review by: Raygun

I’ve been doing a fair number of Tobermory and Ledaig releases in the last couple of months, and here’s one more. I’m not sure I’ve had a fully bourbon matured Tobermory before. This is an old one, dating from not long after the distillery was reopened. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.

Distillery: Tobermory

Bottler: Thompson Brothers  

Region/style: Islands single malt Scotch

ABV: 49.7%. Cask strength. 

Age: 27 years old. Distilled on December 6, 1995 and bottled in December 2022.      

Cask type: Refill hogshead, 285 bottles

Color: 1.1 burnished. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Warm and inviting. Cookies with caramel drizzle, grapefruit, pineapple, a little peach. A touch of something herbal. A little salted plum, too.                           

Palate: Very caramel driven, with the same buttery pastry quality as the nose but even stronger. Citrusy, but now I can’t quite make up my mind between grapefruit and lemon. Still grapefruit, I’d say. Maybe pomelo. Mango and a little banana, but fortunately not too much. The herbal flavor I can’t quite identify is driving me nuts.         

Finish: Caramel cookies, grapefruit, and that little bit of banana that comes out of left field. Some green mango. The sprinkle of salt seems a little stronger. Citrus picks up with a pleasant zing. Pretty consistent between palate and finish. Very little heat.   

Conclusion: A great Tobermory, even if I’m not as enamored of it as some. Unlike Ledaig, which is a model of consistency to me, Tobermory is up and down. This one is all up. More tart and citrusy than tropical to my palate, with a definite pastry aspect. Thorougly enjoyable, and now it seems I need to keep an eye out for more bourbon-aged Tobermory.

Score: 88

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)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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