Highland Heights and Quiet Ambition - A Conversation with Tomatin’s Scott Adamson.

Perched amidst the mist-wrapped hills of the Scottish Highlands, Tomatin carries a mystique that feels almost conspiratorial - like a distillery in quiet dialogue with the clouds. But it’s not just altitude that defines this Highland house; it’s the culture, the craft, and an understated yet daring ambition that whispers rather than shouts. Tomatin has mastered the art of confidence without fanfare, letting its whisky do the talking.

Some whiskies speak softly - this one tells its story in a Highland accent.

Take the 12 Year Old expression: deceptively approachable, yet layered with personality. Honeyed malt, sun-kissed orchard fruits, and a subtle touch of spice drift across the palate like a Highland breeze teasing the hillsides. It’s a dram that invites conversation, rewards curiosity, and reveals character slowly, like a secret told only to those willing to lean in. In many ways, it embodies Tomatin itself - rooted in place, steeped in heritage, and quietly ambitious in its pursuit of excellence.

Our favourite of Tomatin’s creations is the Cask Strength Bourbon & Sherry Cask expression - a whisky that quietly insists on attention. Bottled at a robust 57.5% ABV, it is a first in Tomatin’s core range - a whisky that balances the rigour of cask strength with a composure that feels distinctly Highland. It’s both commanding and approachable, a dram that rewards patience and curiosity in equal measure.

The nose opens with a gentle flourish of homemade vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel and dotted with crushed walnuts - familiar comforts elevated by nuance. Beneath this sweetness, Seville orange peels and red berries emerge, dancing lightly with a wisp of black pepper, adding intrigue and tension. There’s a sense of evolving narrative here: the more it breathes, the more it unfolds, hinting at the layers to come.

On the palate, the whisky reveals its dual heritage. Bourbon casks lend a golden, honeyed richness, while Oloroso Sherry brings subtle, nutty gravitas. Crystallised ginger and crisp green apple introduce a fleeting sharpness that is invigorating rather than jarring, while a touch of salty sea air gives a mineral edge - a reminder of the Highlands’ maritime whispers. Mid-palate, sweet chocolate and a mosaic of cooking spices deepen the experience, intensifying without overpowering, showing that strength need not sacrifice finesse.

The finish lingers thoughtfully - notes of vanilla pod, crumbly fudge, and a delicate warmth that spreads slowly, like sunlight over a misty glen. It is long, layered, and quietly confident, inviting reflection and repetition.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Scott Adamson, Tomatin’s Blender and Global Brand Ambassador, to explore the distillery’s subtle elevations - cultural, creative, and otherwise. Together, we unpacked the interplay of humility and ambition, and the kind of whisky character that can emerge only from a place where people, place, and cask converge in perfect harmony.

1. Tomatin’s altitude is often mentioned, but what other “elevations” - creative, cultural, or otherwise - are you quietly aiming for?

Scott Adamson: While Tomatin’s altitude is often mentioned, the real elevation we strive for is cultural. These days, the old idea of rigid “regional” flavour profiles feels outdated. With around 150 single malt distilleries in Scotland, you can’t neatly divide them into five styles based solely on geography. But culturally, regionality matters more than ever.

Single malt is rooted in place: it’s crafted by a small group of people in a specific town or village, and that spirit reflects its community. Tomatin embodies that Highland spirit. Every single cask is fully matured on site, and we’re the last distillery in Scotland to still provide housing for most of our team. Many of our people have worked here for decades, often as second or third generation, and our head offices are based at the distillery itself, so every decision about what we produce and how we share it is shaped by this place.

In short, there’s a rare connection between our place, our people, and our product. That’s what truly elevates Tomatin

2. Does humility age as gracefully in a cask as ambition? Because Tomatin seems to have both.

Scott Adamson: That balance of humility and ambition is something we strive for at Tomatin. Our ambition is what drives us to pursue excellence: it fuels innovation and inspires us improve production techniques. Yet it’s our humility that keeps us grounded: it ensures we honour the traditions that make Tomatin unique, embracing the patience and sense of custodianship required for true maturation. Together they shape every drop of whisky we create.

3. Legacy, 18, Cù Bòcan - if these expressions were dinner guests, who would dominate the conversation, and who would disappear into the night with a mystery?

Scott Adamson: That’s a really interesting way of looking at our range. We often talk about our whisky in terms of personality but its fun to think about how those personalities would interact with others.

Tomatin Legacy would be the extrovert. Arriving early, full of energy, eager to talk to everyone and with a unique way of making each guest feel welcome. Never loud or overbearing, it wouldn’t steal the conversation, but it would make sure there were no awkward silences. It would draw people together, and on any other night, Legacy might well be the host.

Tomatin 18 Year Old would show up late. It would be the one everyone had been eagerly awaiting. It would carry an air of grace and quiet grandeur that captivates rather than intimidates, telling stories of travels and times gone by that keep everyone leaning in, hanging on every word.

Cu Bocan would be the mystery. Nobody would know quite who invited it, but they’d be glad it came. It wouldn’t give too much away, offering only flashes of intrigue and the occasional clever joke, before slipping away early and unannounced - leaving everyone asking for more.

4. You’ve resisted the urge to shout from the rooftops - is restraint your secret ingredient?

Scott Adamson: We’ve never felt the need to shout from the rooftops. It’s a very Highland characteristic, a quiet confidence that underpins everything we do. We know our whisky is world class, but bragging has never been in our nature. As a brand ambassador, I often speak about the awards our whiskies have earned, yet it always feels a little uncomfortable because the whisky should be front and centre, and it’s more than capable of speaking for itself. For us, the key to building our brand has always been simple: getting liquid on lips and letting genuine recommendation do the rest.

5. When you nose a new whisky, do you smell the past, the present, or a future you’re trying to bottle?

Part scientist, part alchemist, and fully responsible for your next bad decision in a whisky glass.

Scott Adamson: It really depends on the whisky. When I nose a bottle from our archive or draw a sample from an old cask, it’s impossible not to feel the pull of the past. Those whiskies are like time capsules. They carry the fingerprints of the people who made them, the air of the Highlands decades ago, and the patience of all those silent years in oak. They offer glimpses into another era of Tomatin.

When I nose a bottle from our current range, it’s all about the present. It’s about understanding who we are now, capturing the spirit of Tomatin in this moment in 2025, and sharing that with the world. There’s a real pride in knowing that what we make today reflects generations of craft while standing confidently on its own.

And when it’s a sample from a cask we’re still nurturing, then it’s about the future. It’s about possibility. You’re not just nosing whisky, you’re imagining what it could become, and shaping that journey with care and patience. It’s a quiet kind of responsibility, knowing that one day someone else will nose that same spirit and call it their present, or even their past.

6. Cù Bòcan plays in more experimental territory - is that your Dr. Jekyll, or simply Tomatin after dark?

Scott Adamson: When we talk about Cù Bòcan we focus on its experimental side, but it really is a tale of two halves. The new make spirit is lightly peated and carries more weight than Tomatin’s. In fact, it’s closer to what our spirit would have been like up until the 1960s, when we malted barley on site using peat cut from the hills behind the distillery, and condensed our spirit through traditional worm tubs. In that sense, Cù Bòcan has one foot in our past: it’s almost a glimpse of what Tomatin once was.

But when it comes to maturation and blending, Cù Bòcan steps firmly into more experimental territory. We deliberately seek out unusual cask types and unexpected flavour combinations, pushing ourselves to explore what’s possible rather than what’s typical. It’s not about being different for the sake of it, it’s about being led by flavour instead of convention.

7. Let’s be honest: what whisky trend makes your master distiller quietly roll their eyes?

Scott Adamson: Tomatin has always been about been about integrity; offering great whisky at fair pricing. So, anything that puts style over substance is at odds with what we do. That’s not to say that packaging or photography, etc. can’t look nice but it has to be true to the distillery and accurately represent the whisky itself.

8. Does being ‘Highland’ still mean something - or is it more about a mindset than a postcode these days?

Scott Adamson: I maybe got a bit ahead of myself in my answer to the first question. As I said, the idea that region can be used as an indicator of style or flavour doesn’t hold water for me anymore. But I think consumers are looking to learn more about the place that their whisky is made now than ever before. So being able to tell the story of the Highlands and represent place through our whisky is important.

9. If you had to describe your flavour DNA in three non-whisky-related words, what would they be? (And no, “peaty” is cheating.)

Scott Adamson: Complex, diverse and refined.

10. What’s the one misconception about Tomatin that deserves to be retired - with a dram, naturally?

Scott Adamson: That it’s only for beginners. Whiskies like Tomatin Legacy and 12 Year Old are often recommended as approachable drams for those new to single malt, which we love, but that only tells part of the story. We produce one of the most diverse ranges of single malt on the market, and when you include our limited editions and batch releases, there truly is something for everyone.

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Words and questions by AW.

Answers by Scott Adamson.

Photo courtesy of Tomatin Distillery.