Tamdhu CS Batch # 5


”Love Me Like Tamdhu 


Whisky Review # 947

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside
Brand: Tamdhu Cask Strength - Batch 5
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 59.8% (Around Cask Strength)
Maturation: 1st and 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Sherry-Seasoned Casks from Jerez, Spain
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brasil. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 75-90 (May 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay, certainly at around US$ 75
Buying Advice: 👍 If you like heavily Sherried Speysiders this will serve you well

Colour: Copper (Natural Colour)

Nose:

A true to form Sherry nose with lots of Dried Fruit, Dark Chocolate and Fruit Cake. Quite Sweet of course but not over the top. Some sour notes for balance. It's a relatively young Single Malt and the Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Toasted and Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Honey, Fruit Cake, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Plums, Dates, Bananas and Prunes, Orange, Dark Berries & Cherries, Roasted Nuts and Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Oak, Cloves, Nutmeg & Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Red Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Nectarine, Straw, Marzipan, Dried Herbs, Tobacco, Leather, Coconut Cask, Green Leaves, Dusty Track, Licorice, Mint, Cinnamon and Pepper.


Palate:

The Palate follows the Nose with lots of (Dried) Dark Fruit, Nuts and Spices. The strong ABV is quite noticeable. The relative Youth of this Tamdhu is quite clear. The taste is mainly Sweet but is balanced with Sour and Bitter notes. Not bad but a bit predictable.

Main Flavours:

Toasted and Malted Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Toasted Nuts, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Plums, Apricots, Bananas and Dates, Blackberry, Orange, Red Apple, Dark Chocolate, Fruit Cake, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg and Licorice.  

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Toffee, Treacle, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Straw, Nectarine, Cherry, Grapefruit, Lemon, Leather, Tobacco, Herbal Tea, Dusty Track, Cinnamon, Menthol, Aniseed and strong Espresso.


Finish:

Quite long and a little hot. Mainly sweet with a few sour notes as well. Increasing bitterness towards the dry end. The high ABV can't hide the relative youth of the spirit. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey, Dried Fruit like Sultana, Plum, Apricot, Banana and Prunes, Blackberries, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Red Apples, Roasted Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Track, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, Menthol, Aniseed, Dusty Oak and strong Espresso. A hint of Cigar Boxes after a while.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol. The nose gets more Malty and Nutty though, especially Walnuts. The palate almost transforms into a liquid Fruitcake. You can certainly add a bit of Water but be sure to nose and taste it neat as well.

Rating: 84.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. Could do with a longer maturation.

Conclusion:

The Tamdhu Distillery was founded in 1896 by a group of Whisky Blenders of which William Grant was the most important. It is located in Knockando/Aberlour in Morayshire. It closed from 1911 to 1913, 1928 to 1948 and 2009-2011 when it was bought by the current owners Ian MacLeod. Under the old owners (The Edrington Group) most of the spirit went into Blends like Cutty Sark, Vat 69, White Horse, The Famous Grouse and J&B. The new owners however are keen to put Tamdhu on the Whisky map as a premium Single Malt. But of course it will also be used for MacLeod's own Blends like King Robert II. The current production amounts to 3,1 million litres. The core range includes the 10, 12 and 15 Years as well as the CS I'm reviewing today.

It's not often that I get to taste a Single Malt of this Distillery and the Cask Strength does not disappoint, especially when you're into Sherried Speysiders. It's not quite my preferred type of Whisky though. I find it rather predictable and a bit boring. But that's just me of course. I do have a specific issue with this Tamdhu though. It's a little too Young and, as a consequence, a bit too Hot & Nervous. This would be much better with additional cask time. Still, if you like Sherried Speysiders/Highlanders like Glenfarclas and Glengoyne you should give this Tamdhu a chance.  

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            May 17, 2022

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