Tomatin’s Five Virtues

By Katrina Patrick -

This limited edition range from Tomatin Distillery has some striking expressions

Tomatin distillers have created five unique expressions inspired by elements that combine in whisky distillation – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

The expressions are being released gradually, with Wood, Fire and Earth all available now. Metal and Water will be released in the spring of 2018.

Contemporary artist Eva Ullrich was commissioned to create visuals for the Five Virtues, and through her artworks she has explored the way in which these five elements combine.

One aspect she was keen to portray was the movement and graduation between the elements, which reflects the rhythm of nature and of whisky distillation.

“You’ve got the warmth of Fire coming in,” says Eva, “starting in the Wood and then burning out into the peaty Earth. The top half of Earth is quite green, blending into the green that you get quite naturally in copper – so that blends into Metal quite well.

“The texture and movement in the Metal spreads out then calms into a still Water for the winter distillation.”

Jennifer Masson, Marketing Manager at Tomatin, was delighted in how closely the paintings match the Five Virtues whisky expressions.

“It’s amazing how many synergies there are,” says Jennifer, “because you can apply that to whisky maturation – the younger it is the sharper it is, and the older ones tend to be the smoother. The movement in the paintings really reflect the whiskies.”

A mingling of the senses

The paintings, which have been used to great effect on the whisky’s packaging, provide a visual aid for those who may not be familiar with the jargon of whisky descriptions.

“It’s quite an accessible way in for people who may be a little intimidated by whisky,” says Eva. “In terms of the flavours and what it evokes, this is so exciting because it gives you a hook – something that’s more familiar to you that you can apply that to the whisky.”

Tomatin’s First Peated Whisky

Earth is the most recent expression in the series to be released, and it will come as a surprise to connoisseur that this is a peated whisky. The nosing notes from Tomatin are of “vanilla, burning heather and black fruits with sweet, light smoke”, which fits rather nicely with Eva’s artwork in the gallery on the right.

The first three whisky expressions are available now. Click here for Tomatin Distillery visitor information.

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