Tamdhu 20 Year Old Malts of Scotland

This Speysider closed in 2010 and it looked like the beginning of the end. But in July 2011 Ian McLeod Distillers (who already own Glengoyne) came to the rescue and bought the distillery from Edrington Group. The price was never revealed, but Leonard Russel, COA of Ian McLeod, revealed in a recent interview that the lion’s share of the money went to the stocks of maturing whisky, not the distillery itself. The Tamdhu we’ll be trying today is 20 years old and was bottled by Malts of Scotland. It’s a single cask, sherry butt 8119, that yielded 209 bottles.

The nose is very creamy with a pinch of salt and flints (like the little stones you use in your zippo lighter) to keep the candied sugar, dades and bucketload of raisins company. Roasted pine nuts and a touch of mint. The longer you leave it, the sweeter it becomes. Wonderful.

The attack is very bitter and spicy, but then immediately allows the raisins, roasted nuts and orange marmalade to shine through. White pepper.

That white peppered orange marmalade continues in the nice and long finish, until the dram dies a salty, drying death.

When comparing this to the recent official Tamdhu’s that I’ve tried before, this one surpasses them blindfolded and with one hand tied to the back. Very nice sherried Tamdhu. Approx 80 EUR.

Find where to buy Tamdhu whisky