Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd
About the distillery
Tomatin is located in the Scottish Highlands and is a distillery with roots going back to 1897. The site is known for its classic Highland single malt, its lightly peated Cù Bòcan series, and a clear focus on cask maturation ranging from bourbon and sherry to port wine and wine casks. Here, a long local whisky history meets a modern portfolio that still bears the mark of the house style: unpeated, light, soft and fruity.
History
Whisky has been part of life around Tomatin since at least the 1700s, and probably even further back. The official history begins in 1892, when the final route for the Highland Railway was announced; shortly after, John MacDougall, who was born and raised in Tomatin, began planning a distillery. Tomatin Spey District Distillery was registered on 8 June 1897, but it closed again in 1906. In 1909, experienced wine and spirits merchants bought the company and reopened it as New Tomatin Distillers Company Ltd., with two stills and a capacity of 225,000 litres of alcohol per year.
After the Second World War, demand grew strongly, and Tomatin kept pace. In 1974, the distillery had 23 stills and an annual capacity of 12.5 million litres of alcohol, making it the world’s largest malt distillery. The recessions of the 1980s and the early 1990s hit the industry hard, and Tomatin was shut down as well, but only temporarily. In February 1986, Takara Shuzo and Okura & Co. bought the distillery and formed Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd., with Takara Shuzo continuing as the majority shareholder. In 1996, J & W Hardie Ltd. became part of the group and brought The Antiquary into the portfolio. In 2002, Tomatin reduced the number of stills from 23 to 12 and shifted focus away from mass production and towards single malt. Since 2005, the distillery has also produced lightly peated spirit once a year, and in 2013 Cù Bòcan was launched on that basis. In 2016, Tomatin Single Malt received a new visual and commercial profile, and in 2022 To What Matters became the overarching brand platform.
Raw materials and production
Tomatin works with a clear house style, described as unpeated, light, soft and fruity. At the same time, the distillery highlights that lightly peated spirit has been produced once a week since 2005, and that this spirit formed the basis for Cù Bòcan. The specific page does not provide details about malt type, fermentation length, water source, or the exact distillation setup, but it makes clear that production is largely shaped by a strong wood policy and deliberate work with cask selection.
It is in the casks that Tomatin often seeks variation. The range spans bourbon barrels and virgin oak through sherry, port, and a range of wine and special casks. For the classic Tomatin line, there is maturation and storage aimed at a soft, fruit-driven style, while Cù Bòcan is used to work with more unusual combinations. Tomatin also describes work in which generations of employees function as custodians of the whisky, and where product and place are understood as closely connected.
Maturation and cask types
Tomatin uses a broad palette of casks. The fixed core includes bourbon barrels, virgin oak, ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, refill casks, port casks and Oloroso Sherry butts, and multiple releases get their final touch in sherry casks. The Italian collection was discontinued in 2010 and received two years of finishing in Marsala-, Amarone- and Barolo-casks after ten years in traditional oak casks. Other series work with Tawny Port, Cognac barriques, Monbazillac, Rivesaltes and Sauternes barriques. This allows Tomatin to move from classic bourbon and sherry influence towards more wine-like and more aromatic expressions, without leaving its soft Highland framework.
Whiskies
Tomatin’s current core consists of Tomatin Legacy Bourbon and Virgin Oak, 12 Year Old Triple Cask, Cask Strength Bourbon and Sherry, 14 Year Old Tawny Port and 18 Year Old Oloroso Sherry. In addition, Dualchas American Oak appears as a separate release, matured with bourbon and virgin oak. On the more experimental end, the Cù Bòcan series features lightly peated spirit and different casks, and in addition you’ll find country-inspired and limited releases such as The Italian Collection and The Port Edition.
Overall, the range points to a distillery that likes to work with contrasts: soft Highland single malt on the one hand, and more distinctive cask expressions on the other. Tomatin sticks to a classic, fruit-driven base tone, but builds layer upon layer with sherry, port, wine and new oak casks, so that the series combines familiarity with variation.
| Whisky | Type / series | Age | Cask and style | Tasting profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatin Legacy Bourbon and Virgin Oak | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks | A malt whisky matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks. | Current; Core range; Shop now | |
| Tomatin 12 Year Old Triple Cask | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 12 Year Old | ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and refill casks | Triple wood maturation – use of ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and refill casks. | Current; Core range; Shop now |
| Tomatin Cask Strength Bourbon and Sherry | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Bourbon barrels and Sherry casks | Our Cask Strength is a first-fill whisky matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Sherry casks. | Current; Core range; Shop now | |
| Tomatin 14 Year Old Tawny Port | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 14 Year Old | Bourbon barrels and Port casks | The 14 year old single malt whisky is matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Port casks. | Current; Core range; Shop now |
| Tomatin 18 Year Old Oloroso Sherry | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 18 Year Old | Oloroso Sherry butts; finish: Final maturation | The 18 year old dry single malt whisky enjoys its final maturation in Oloroso Sherry butts. | Current; Core range; Shop now |
| Dualchas American Oak | Malt whiskey | Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks | A malt whiskey matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks. | Current; Shop now | |
| The Italian Collection Marsala Edition | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Marsala Wine casks; finish: Used as finishing casks after 10 years on traditional oak casks | One of three single malts in the Italian collection, first laid down on casks in December 2010 and later finished in Marsala casks.; Nose: Panettone and candied lime; Taste: White chocolate, lemon truffles and hazelnuts; Finish: Sweet citrus with notes of toasted oak | Current; Available now | |
| The Italian Collection Amarone Edition | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Amarone wine casks; finish: Used as finishing casks after 10 years on traditional oak casks | One of three single malts in the Italian collection, first laid down on casks in December 2010 and later finished in Amarone casks.; Nose: Poached pears and rhubarb and custard sweets; Taste: Strawberry jam, Turkish delight and light butter pastry; Finish: Cinnamon-spiced red apples and a rich finish | Current; Available now | |
| The Italian Collection Barolo Edition | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Barolo Wine casks; finish: Used as finishing casks after 10 years on traditional oak casks | One of three single malts in the Italian collection, first laid down on casks in December 2010 and later finished in Barolo casks.; Nose: Mulled wine and dark chocolate; Taste: Spiced mead, cranberry and fresh citrus; Finish: Light tannins and delicate sugared almonds | Current; Available now | |
| The Port Edition | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Portuguese Collection | Tawny Port casks | Part 1 of the Portuguese Collection, matured in Tawny Port casks. | Current; Available now | |
| Cù Bòcan Signature (Lightly Peated) | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and North American Virgin Oak; peated/smoky | A lightly peated whisky matured in Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and North American Virgin Oak casks. | Current; Core range; Available now | |
| Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old Batch #1 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 12 Year Old | Caribbean rum casks; peated/smoky | Cù Bòcan aged 12 years, batch #1, matured in Caribbean rum casks. | Current; Available now |
| Cù Bòcan 15 Year Old 2023 Edition | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 15 Year Old | Oloroso Sherry casks; peated/smoky | Cù Bòcan 15 Year Old 2023 Edition matured in Oloroso Sherry casks. | Current; Available now |
Whisky style and tasting profile
Tomatin’s style revolves around soft fruitiness, light malt sweetness and a clean unpeated expression. In the documented releases, wine-like and fruit-driven notes also come through such as pear, candied lime, citrus, red apples, strawberry jam and cranberry. The cask influence also brings dry and spicy hints with toasted oak, light tannins, dark chocolate and sherry characteristics, while Cù Bòcan adds a lightly peated dimension to the picture.
Visit the distillery
There is an opportunity to visit Tomatin, and the distillery welcomes guests with Book a Tour, as well as a Visitor Centre and a shop. The visit can be planned as an official part of the site, and Tomatin also sells special editions directly via its online shop and Visitor Centre at the distillery. The text does not provide fixed opening hours or specific booking information, but it clearly shows that public access and guided visits are part of the experience.
Philosophy and craft
Tomatin describes itself as a place where the work is more than a job; it is a way of life for craftsmen and their families. The To What Matters brand platform brings together a focus on people, community and the moments that matter. The distillery also places emphasis on its first-class wood policy and on using cask selection as an active craft choice that shapes the character of the whiskies. There is also clear respect for the nature, history, landscape and traditions of the Highlands.
Latest news
The Italian Collection launches – 2023-09-05
Tomatin launched a new limited release consisting of three single malts that were laid down in December 2010 and later finished in Marsala-, Amarone- and Barolo-casks.
Tomatin x Fernweh – 2023-11-20
Tomatin entered into a collaboration with Fernweh on a limited-edition backpack created with inspiration from the distillery’s surroundings and the brand’s focus on craftsmanship and moments that matter.