Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Ian Macleod Distillers
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: www.tamdhu.com
Vote: 80/100
After trying an independent version, here is the basic bottling from Tamdhu distillery, which replaced the previous ten-year-old in 2018.
Like their entire portfolio, this bottle comes from ageing entirely in American and European ex-sherry casks, partly matured in Jerez.
A note on the price, still quite cheap for such an age, given the upward trend of other distilleries especially with NAS.
Tasting notes
On the nose, it brings out the obligatory compote of figs, plums and red fruits (blueberries, strawberries, sultanas) with a drop of lemon, smeared on a shortbread tart with slivered almonds scattered around. Quite intense and full-bodied, it adds caramel, acacia honey, malt cream and a hint of balsamic vinegar. Cinnamon. Never excessive and all in all elegant.
On the palate, it loses much of the substance perceived on the nose, the tones are lowered remaining in the red fruit score but with less incisiveness. The acidulous part lingers, losing the pulpy one, more on the side of juice than of jam, with a push of spices (cinnamon, pepper) on the sweet tones that take a back seat, rediscovering caramel and honey with underlying astringency. Wood on the length.
Fairly short finish of red fruits, cinnamon, wood, a slight salty note.
As an introductory malt it actually shows potential here still unexpressed, making one curious to find out whether greater ageing (and less watered-down alcohol content) can do justice to the olfactory side as this 12-year-old fails to do.