Tomatin Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide
Updated: 23 hours ago
Tomatin is a Highland distillery in the village of Tomatin, in Inverness-shire. For most of the twentieth century it grew into one of the biggest malt distilleries on the planet. In 1986 it became the first Scotch whisky distillery under Japanese ownership, and it has spent the decades since shrinking its stills and sharpening its single malt.
This is the story of how Tomatin got there, who owns it now, how it makes its spirit and what you can drink and visit today.
In this guide
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Tomatin at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Tomatin near Inverness, Highlands |
Region | Highlands, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1897 |
Owner | Japanese-owned Tomatin Distillery Co. |
Bottles documented | 4 named expressions in Whisky Clan's bottle database |
Visiting | See visitor information in the original research below. Check official opening and booking details before travelling. |
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Tomatin history, people and production
Where is Tomatin distillery?
Tomatin Distillery sits in the village of Tomatin, Inverness-shire, IV13 7YT. The Single Cask places it around 16 miles south of Inverness, just off the old A9. ScotchWhisky.com puts it between Aviemore and Inverness. The whisky is classed as Highland single malt.
Tomatin history
Whisky was part of life around Tomatin long before the licensed distillery. The distillery says illegal distilling has probably been important to the area since the 1700s. The Single Cask adds a local story that cattle drovers bought drams from a still along the droving roads.
The formal distillery follows the railway. In 1892 it was announced that the Highland Railway would pass through Tomatin, and local man John MacDougall began planning a distillery. The Tomatin Spey District Distillery was registered on 8 June 1897, according to the distillery. It closed in 1906.
It did not stay silent for long. In 1909 experienced wine and spirits merchants bought the company and reopened it as the New Tomatin Distillers Company Ltd, with two stills able to produce 225,000 litres of alcohol a year.
Then came the boom. ScotchWhisky.com records the stills going from two to four in 1956, to six in 1958, to ten in 1961 and eleven with a single extra still in 1964. In 1974 a further 12 stills were installed, bringing the total to 23. The distillery calls Tomatin the largest malt distillery in the world at that point, with capacity of 12.5 million litres a year.
ScotchWhisky.com quotes 10 million litres a year for the same expansion, so the exact figure depends on the source.
The good times did not last. Demand for blended Scotch fell sharply and Tomatin went into liquidation. ScotchWhisky.com's timeline dates this to 1985 and its history text to 1986, while The Single Cask says 1985. In February 1986 two Japanese companies, Takara Shuzo and Okura and Co, bought the distillery and formed Tomatin Distillery Co.
Ltd. It was the first Scotch whisky distillery under Japanese control. Okura's stake was taken by Marubeni in 1998.
The company then widened its portfolio. It bought the blender J and W Hardie, owner of the Antiquary blend. The distillery's timeline dates this to 1996, while ScotchWhisky.com says 1997.
Next came the big cut-back. The stills were reduced from 23 to 12, which remain today. The distillery dates this to 2002, but ScotchWhisky.com and The Single Cask put the decommissioning at 2000. Either way, it marked a change in focus from mass production for blends to growing the single malt range.
In 2013 the distillery launched Cù Bòcan, its lightly peated single malt brand. The distillery says it had been making the peated spirit for one week each year since 2005. A change of packaging and marketing in 2016 followed for the core Tomatin single malt.
Who owns Tomatin?
Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd owns Tomatin. Takara Shuzo of Japan is the majority shareholder, a position it has held since 1986. The group also owns the Antiquary blended Scotch, the Talisman brand and Cù Bòcan.
How Tomatin makes its whisky
Water: ScotchWhisky.com names the Alt-na Frith or Free Burn as the source.
Malt: mostly unpeated, at about 2ppm. Suppliers named by ScotchWhisky.com are Simpsons, Boortmalt and Bairds.
Mashing: a lauter mash tun with a grist of about 7.9 tonnes.
Fermentation: 12 stainless steel washbacks. ScotchWhisky.com gives 55 to 112 hours. The Single Cask reports fermentations of up to a week, so treat the top end with care.
Stills: 12 in total, six wash and six spirit, in a traditional onion shape with a ball. Condensers are shell and tube.
Strengths: filling strength of 63.5% and new make of about 70%, per ScotchWhisky.com.
Capacity: 4.2 million litres a year per ScotchWhisky.com. The Single Cask says around 5 million.
Warehousing: two dunnage and 12 racked warehouses, with The Single Cask estimating around 170,000 casks in stock.
Single malt share: ScotchWhisky.com lists single malt as 38% of output. The rest goes to blends.
The Tomatin range
These are the core expressions listed on the distillery's own shop pages. Prices change, so check the shop for current ones.
Tomatin Legacy: bourbon barrels and virgin oak.
Tomatin 12 Year Old: triple wood, using ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and refill casks. Whiskybase lists the current 12 at 43% ABV.
Tomatin 14 Year Old: bourbon barrels and port casks, described as Tawny Port.
Tomatin 18 Year Old: finished in Oloroso sherry butts.
Tomatin Cask Strength: first-fill bourbon barrels and sherry casks.
Dualchas American Oak: bourbon barrels and virgin oak, listed in 750ml.
Cù Bòcan: the lightly peated Tomatin brand, with its own website.
Over the years the distillery and independent bottlers have used a wide wood palette, including Italian wine casks. Whiskybase also lists a long run of single casks and distillery exclusives.
Tomatin and independent bottlers
With so much liquid made over the decades, Tomatin turns up often in independent bottlings. The Single Cask bottled two 2006 vintage casks matured in firkins, cask 5777B (PX, 53.9%, 72 bottles) and cask 5777C (Oloroso, 55.2%, 70 bottles). Both are sold out. The Single Cask also notes that Tomatin supplied fillings to large blends in the past.
Visiting Tomatin
The distillery runs tours and tastings. ScotchWhisky.com lists opening as Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm in summer and Sunday 12.30pm to 4.30pm in summer. Opening times change, so check the tours page before you travel.
Official website
Tomatin whisky bottle range and cask comparison
Here are named expressions documented from producer or specialist sources, including the available age and ABV. A missing strength is deliberately left as 'Check bottle' rather than estimated.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Tomatin Legacy | NAS | 43% | Virgin oak and ex-bourbon casks |
Tomatin 12 Year Old | 12 years | 43% | Bourbon and sherry oak casks |
Tomatin 14 Year Old Port Cask Finish | 14 years | 46% | Port cask finishing |
Tomatin 18 Year Old | 18 years | 46% | Bourbon matured with oloroso sherry casks |
Featured bottle: Tomatin 12 Year Old
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
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Frequently asked questions about Tomatin
Where is Tomatin distillery?
In the village of Tomatin, Inverness-shire, south of Inverness, in the Highlands.
Who owns Tomatin?
Tomatin Distillery Co. Ltd, with Takara Shuzo of Japan as majority shareholder since 1986.
When was Tomatin founded?
1897, when the Tomatin Spey District Distillery was registered. It closed in 1906 and reopened in 1909.
Is Tomatin peated?
The core range is unpeated, at about 2ppm. Cù Bòcan is the lightly peated line, made for about one week a year according to the distillery.
How many stills does Tomatin have?
12, six wash and six spirit. It peaked at 23 in the 1970s.
Sources and photographic credits
Not confirmed: current ABVs for the range apart from the 12 Year Old, and current visitor prices. Sources disagree on several dates, which are stated above.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
Featured photograph: original credited image from the Whisky Clan distillery media library. If you own this image and would like the attribution updated, please contact Whisky Clan.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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