Tomatin – 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish 2008 (The French Collection, No. 2 of 4) (46%)

This is Tomatin 12 Year Old, the second of four releases in The French Collection, a series that shows what different casks do to the finished whisky. It was distilled in September 2008, matured first in traditional Scottish oak, moved to Sauternes casks in July 2017 and bottled in March 2021 at 46%. It is unfiltered and natural in colour, from an edition of 6,000 bottles. Peach and apricot on the nose are softened by rich manuka honey. The honey carries on through the palate with coconut and ginger, and the finish is sweet and fresh, with a syrupy fullness that recalls the Sauternes wine.