Everything you need to know about Tomatin Distillery

A brief History

Tomatin, Highlands Region, Scotland. Founded in late 1897.

Tomatin Distillery: Highland Single Malt with Soft Power

Tomatin Distillery sits just south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, tucked into the Monadhliath Mountains. If you picture wide Highland skies, cool air, and long winters, that’s the environment shaping this whisky.

Founded in 1897 (with earlier illicit distilling on the site long before that), Tomatin grew into one of Scotland’s larger producers during the 20th century. For years, much of its spirit went into blends. That background matters. It means the distillery built its reputation on clean, consistent, fruit-forward spirit. Today, the focus is firmly on single malt, and Tomatin has become known for approachable Highland whisky with depth rather than aggression.

For UK drinkers who enjoy Highland single malt but don’t want heavy peat or overpowering sherry, Tomatin offers balance. It can show sweetness and fruit in younger expressions, while older bottlings develop weight and polished oak without losing that core smoothness.

Explore all Highlands Whisky

Taste Profile


Sweet	Malty / Cereal	Fruity

Tomatin is known for a smooth, fruity Highland style, often matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks.

You’ll often notice orchard fruit on the nose, backed by honey and vanilla. Sherry-matured expressions bring deeper fruit and spice, while the finish tends to be clean and gently warming rather than sharp.

Tomatin also produces lightly peated expressions, though the core range stays unpeated and fruit-led.

Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients

	Apple / Pear
	Vanilla
	Honey
	Oak / Wood Spice

Popular Tomatin Bottles

Tomatin has a broad single malt range, from entry level to long-aged releases.

Whisky	Style	What You’ll Notice
Tomatin 12 Year Old	Highland Single Malt	Fruit, honey, soft oak
Tomatin 14 Year Old Port Cask	Wine Finish	Red fruit, spice, sweetness
Tomatin 18 Year Old	Sherry & Bourbon Cask	Rich fruit, polished wood
Tomatin Legacy	NAS Highland Malt	Fresh fruit, light sweetness
Cù Bòcan (Tomatin Peated Range)	Lightly Peated Malt	Gentle smoke, sweet core

The Cù Bòcan range shows a different side of the distillery, with subtle peat layered over the usual fruit character.

Tomatin 12 Year Old Highland Whisky

The Distillery

The Distiller: Tomatin Distillery
Distillery Address: Tomatin Distillery, Tomatin, Inverness, IV13 7YT, Scotland

Open in maps

https://tomatin.com/

01463 248144

Visitor Centre & Opening Times

Yes — Tomatin operates a visitor centre with guided tours and tastings.

Visitors can expect:

Production tours
Warehouse tastings
On-site shop

Opening times generally run:

Monday – Saturday: Morning to late afternoon
Seasonal adjustments apply

Booking ahead is recommended, especially in peak summer months.

Ownership & Distillery History

Tomatin has an interesting ownership history compared to many Highland distilleries.

Ownership Timeline:

1897: Officially established
Mid-20th Century: Expanded significantly for blending
1986: Acquired by Japanese investors
Present: Owned by Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd (Japanese-owned but Scotland-based operation)

It was one of the first Scottish distilleries to come under Japanese ownership, which helped secure its survival during difficult industry periods.

Distillery Facts

Overview & History

Tomatin Distillery is located south of Inverness in the Highlands and was officially founded in 1897, although illicit distilling had reportedly taken place in the area long before then.

During the 1970s, Tomatin became one of the largest malt distilleries in Scotland, operating with an exceptionally high number of stills to support the blending industry.

After financial difficulties in the 1980s, the distillery was acquired by Japanese investors, becoming one of the first Scotch distilleries under Japanese ownership.

Today, Tomatin focuses increasingly on its single malt range while still contributing to blends.