This is one of my favorite whiskies, period. I get pecans, walnut oil, and raisin rum cake. Amazing value, given the quality and age.

Such an underrated scotch-very unique and one of the best kept secrets from the Highlands. Which I’m happy about considering the price is still quite reasonable compared to other 18 YOs!

Thanks for the great review Ralfy, and for all the brilliant comments below!

Cheers from Mexico Ralfy, I’ve been following your reviews for about a year and this is my first comment. Tomatin 18 yo is a whisky I enjoy very much and one thing I’ve learned about this particular whisky is that it opens very slowly, you have to be very patient with it. A recently open bottle needs more than the 18 minutes commonly recommended. I’ve enjoyed it since day one after its proper treatment, but when the bottle was about half of it, oh my god what an elixir it became. It was ready in much less time and so full of flavor since sip one. I think you need to re review it when you go through the bottle. I also noticed the alcohol didn’t kick anymore, it became very smooth.

Once again you tell it like it is Ralfy. Keep up the excellent work. 😃

Tomatin is producing great whisky. I tried to get the moscatel finished Tomatin after you reviewed it, but I ended up getting the port finished 14 year old for a better price. I enjoyed it, but didn't appreciate enough until I was gifted The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve as a birthday present. The Dalmore is bottled at 46% and is filtered and coloured. I wouldn't say it was awful but it was one of those disappointing drams that could have been so much more. The Tomatin was a solid bottle and I ended up buying a cask strength T.B. Watson anniversary bottling that I loved. Cheers Ralfy, another great review.

Have a bottle of the 18 in my whisky/whiskey library and it has been there for a good year or so. I've been chiseling away at it gradually and find the flavor profile to be SPECTACULAR. The bottle content is now down to the last few drams and I've enjoyed it both as a dram and as a contributor to my infinity malt bottle. Definitely will be getting another when it is gone. I find a pleasant lightly smoky leathery note in the 18 and it is really unlike any other I've tasted thus far..... GREAT REVIEW AS ALWAYS RALFY!!!!

Thanks for the description and review. I should have bought this in 2021 when it was Cdn $ 125 per bottle and not the current Cdn $ 170+. Best from Canada

Tomatin, Balblair and AnCnoc all very underrated and much better than most more well known distilleries.

Great review, Ralfy. Informative, honest and entertaining. I bought my bottle of Tomatin 18 yo this February for around 56 euro. This is just around 2 euro more that the price of Glenlivet 18 or Glenfiddich 18. Haven't opened it yet as I plan to do it when I finish my currently opened Glenlivet 18. For this price Tomatin is one of if not the most affordable "integrity" 18 yo single malt where I live.

One of my favorites to drink in the humid summers of New Jersey, I have 5

I love the rooster 🐔 at 12:37. The experience of this bottle sounds like one to try.

Yet another well done and spot-on review...and yes, adding water with deliberation and methodically revealed an even better experience. Cheers.

Great review, Ralfy ! I had the Tomatin 12yo after watched your review and I liked it ! Now I will move on to the 18yo ! Cheers

Thank u for your passion and your sharing, so interesting ! I'm a big fan ! (from France)

Thank you Ralfy. I have an 18 year and I'm ready to explore. Great video.

I concur that the buildings were looking much like a regular farm, but I believe the location is why Tomatin has always provided consumers with delicate taste - they keep these things in windy and cool places. The maturation could be slightly slower, but I recommend anyone to try their distiller's chocolate whisky. Such delicate whisky being encapsulated in chocolate is paradise.

Respect to the Cockerell! And to you Ralfy. I have much enjoyed your review. You've taught me over the years.

Another great review Ralfy. The colour on the Tom 18 is incredible! Will have to have a wee dram of it when I'm down at the whisky store 🥃😄

Comrade Ralfy, i think this whisky deserves at least two points more. Obviously today you are not in a generous mood.

Not sure I've ever heard animals in the background before. Especially being in the middle of the Irish sea. That rooster has got a booming voice.

My sipping dram as of present. Very good value for money. Also a really enjoyable malt. All the best from Eastern Switzerland.

12:35 Rooster, and again 12:50, 13:28

Good review Ralfy. Generally tomatin produce decent whisky at a reasonable price.

Love hearing the roosters in the background

Chickens, roosters and some kind of farm machinery too. Big brothers honing in on you and your Bothy will be comprised! Watch out for a sudden influx of malted anoraks chappin on your door. Thanks for sharing Ralfy. Bye the way, on chapter 4 of your book now. It’s really well written, a good dose of comic reality. Just what’s needed during these bleak times. 🥃

This was my first 18 yr. scotch. I enjoyed it tremendously, both taste and price. I recently opened the 12 yr sherry and bourbon cask and loved it. I then watched your review from 3-4 years ago, perhaps the whisky has changed. I am very certain my reaction was completely different than yours. Maybe a re-do is in order? Thanks for your teaching and humor.

"Intensely delicate. Delivering it's payload " In case you didn't know it, Ralfy is a poet. To be honest, I've drowned out the last few years with Whiskytube. Listening to reviews all hours of the day and night to avoid watching fake news. Plus I've learned a thing or two about Scotch Whisky. Though, the monotony of tasting notes are beginning to be indistinguishable my experiences do tend to concur especially with this Tomatin 18. I love this stuff and I only wish this would satisfy my thirst completely and regularly but curiosity and louder flavors have their appeal as well. The price is creeping up unfortunately but it's still a good value in a malt that has the ability to reveal it's age and maturation now that I've lived with it for some time. Other drams can do gymnastics in the glass this is more like a card trick.

Ooh, Tomatin 18... and pure Oloroso Sherry... *slàinte mhath*

Had this whisky in my collection for the past 2 years and I’m loving it! Well, Tomatin in general. 😁 But I’ll give it at least another pointer.

I unintentionally spit out a tiny spot of whisky when you described bladnoch as "warmer". Warmer than really cold. LOL

The realism of the rooster at 12:38 is what makes Ralfy the real deal! 😁

Excellent video, Ralfy. Even the cockerel enjoyed it, or was that the lust of spring? But slowing it down and allowing the bottle to open up - these are very important themes. Lots of good advice in this proper "vintage-Ralfy" video. Particularly enjoyed you drawing so much out of the nosing and tasting.

Thanks for all the great reviews. I look forward to your posts. I was hoping to get you to do a re-review of Elijah Craig Bourbon. About 10 years ago you reviewed the 12 yr old and gave it a 91 Bourbon Mark. It has since been rebranded as Small Batch. Looking forward to seeing it in the future!

Yep! interesting experience...

Again a honest review, much appreciated ralfy ,stay safe 👍

Thank once again for the review, and thanks for raising the point about cask position in the warehouse. I was watching a well known whisky live stream last week and one of the whisky geeks on the chat was pontificating about angels share, when I raised the very point you made about south facing, near the roof etc, and the geek blanked me and continued his angels share monologue. When is your next book appearing? I enjoyed "the bothy".

Hope you're doing well ralfy!

Is the rooster 12:30 in your back yard?

I had 14 port finish not that long ago and really enjoyed it

Malt muppets sending in the malt mentions by the sound of it Ralfy!

So, basically - seeing the amount of water added - you buy a bottle, not even cask strength, and you end up getting 1/4 to 1/5 extra? That's one extra mark for me :).

I was at a Tomatin whisky tasting recently and this 18yr old stood out ,,, , a shame it was a bit expensive for me to buy the bottle at 120£

18 y.o. was best of the Tomatins i've tried.

Woo just picked this up in the Philippines for 78usd !! What a deal for a 18yo

I enjoyed it, and it was reasonably priced for an 18yo.

Malt mentions - I'm sure by now that every thesaurus and dictionary has been depleted of M words for the purpose and that we are into repetitions and rearrangements of the old ones. The idea was whimsical to start with but has now worn thin.

If you dropped some raisins and sultanas and brown sugar into a cask could you replicate a sherry finish

Spot on ralfy love these reviews keep up the good work .🥃👍

Fair review, waiting for a fair retail price here in Italy

Bought today in Portugal, 105 €.

Ralfy is the sword in case someone tries to steal your whisky? 😂😂

Thanks for the review Ralfy, I've not tried older Tomatin - it's on the shopping list. Was interested in the flavour development after the bottle is opened/in the glass - is this common to CS bottlings over a certain age, to certain distilleries or perhaps both? 🤔

Excellent as always

Just got my Twitch streaming pay out and sprung for this one. Cant wait to start learning about it

Ralfy do you think that prices of Scottish Single Malts will go down or at least plateau during the next 5 years?

The label is confusing, Ralfy, because when you search on line or talk to BA's, this expression IS NOT a full Oloroso Butts maturation as it is suggested by the label, but a Sherry FINISH only, after having spent 16 years in "Oak casks" that we guess it means "American Oak" in fact...This doesn't mean it is not good, but that the oak remains important...a thing one can feel also about usual "markers" of American oak, such as a lot of ginger. Having said that this is one of my favorite expressions from this distillery. Cheers !

Tomatin is a beauty whisky, isn't a beginner malt for sure. I have to said, Tomatin Single Cask picks are outstanding and ruin you on the official bottlings

How about Malty-Muff-Muncher?

So, I was not a fan of the 12 ($39 here). It’s boring. Though it’s a good value, I’m looking for better whisky. Is the 18 good enough to justify $119? Prices are going crazy in VA. And how would this compare to Bunna 12, which I LOVE and is $69 here. Any takes on both relative value and straight head-to-head quality? I’m afraid I’ll buy a bottle of the 18 and wish I’d got the Bunna.

Fantastic review

Ralfy, could you review a säntis dreifaltigkeit. You can buy it on urban drinks and it’s a very peated Swiss whisky that I hear is more of a savoury smoke than a medicinal smoke such as laphroig. Smoked ham, smoked cheese and smoked eels are notes I’ve heard it contains

Great video as usual👍🏻

Would love to try but at £80 for 70cl ..i'll keep saving the sovereigns and maybe i will.

14,18 top in tomatin very love

I always try to guess there maltmark before it's revealed. I said 88 this time. One out: damn!

Ralfy, thanks again! Will add this one to the shopping list. Any plans to review Slane or Quiet Man (Irish whiskies)? Shout out to Meritorious Marinated Mellifluous Maltmates everywhere.

Hello, thanks for the video. In french, Tomatin means « early morning »😊. Funny, isn’t it?

I've noticed there are distillers on the Isle of Man, do any make whisky. The ones I found make gin

Hi Ralfy, for me the Tomatin 18 is an example for the influence of a lot of wood influence in a whisky with it's sour and savoury notes. I have rarely encountered other malts that had the same kind of "woodyness"(?) to it. Can you confirm my perception?

Cheers from Germany... I am not so sure about the natural color. Checked several websites over here and 4 out of 5 state that there is E150a added...

Dose it taste like Glenfiddich at all just asking.?

Ralfy, I hear you say a minute in the glass for each year in the cask. I always seem to hear that after you add water. Is this saying for with water, without or both?

87???? After the description it seems low!

Is that a new bunnet Ralfy?

Och aye the noo Jimmy, a proper wee dram.

Hello Ralfy, if I don’t make a mistake, you never made a video of a Miltonduff, isn’t it? Will you make one one day? (sorry for my poor english)

Literally just bought this bottle 2 weeks ago. Most disappointing bottle I've had. Tried a mini first and thought it was great, opened up the big bottle and I can't even finish a pour. Something is very much off with the finish. Palate is a little bland, but the finish is terrible. Not sure what's going on.

tired of all these munchinh malt mentioned mentions Malty mentioned mentions

Sounds like you have chickens.

Tomatin is such a bad name. Reminds me of tomatoes

First

I enjoyed it, and it was reasonably priced for an 18yo.