Tamdhu 1984 Scott's Selection Review

“Old and Wise”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Tamdhu 1984 (Scott's Selection) 

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 27 Years

ABV: 49.6%

Colour: Golden

Nose: Mature and Floral with Heather Honey, Sherry, Dried Fruits like Raisins, Dates and Apricots, Sweet Barley, Golden Syrup, Buttered Toast and Orange Marmalade, Toffee, Butterscotch, Dry Earth, slightly Sour Red Apples, Peach, Vanilla sauce, Bourbon, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mint and distant hints of Leather and Tobacco. The Oak and Alcohol are present of course but they are quite nicely integrated with the other Aromas. Can a Whisky smell Creamy? This Tamdhu does in my opinion.  

Palate: Strong, Spicy and Sweet-Sour Delivery with Malt, Orange Marmalade, Sponge Cake, Red Grapes, Red Apples, Dried Fruits and Nuts, Heather Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Mint, Pepper, Ginger, light Salty Licorice, Dry Earth and a bit of Lemon. The Alcohol and Oak are more noticeable here. 

Finish: Middle-Long, Woody and Spicy with Toast (the Dutch Beschuit) with little Aniseed balls, Pepper, Mint, Heather Honey, Orange Marmalade, Dried Apricot, Raisins, Malt and Oak. Quite Dry in the end. The Alcohol is more present here. 

I added a bit of Water and the Nose shows even more Floral - and Malty notes. Spice, Honey, Red Fruit, Licorice and Aniseed lead the way on the Palate and in the Finish. The Alcohol calms down this way. This Tamdhu certainly accepts a little Water.

Rating: 85 

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 21.5

Stills at Tamdhu

General Remarks: 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 Tamdhu I'm tasting today was distilled in 1984 when the distillery was still owned by Robertson & Baxter (Edrington).

The Scott's Selection is a collection of Single Malts handpicked by Robert Scott, the former Master Blender at Speyside Distillers in Glasgow. This Tamdhu is bottled at Cask Strength and not Chill-Filtered. Scott's Selection organised its last Whisky Tasting Event on September 13, 2014 in Roosendaal, Holland. The Tamdhu I am reviewing today was distilled in 1984 and bottled in October 2011. It matured in an Ex-Sherry Hogshead (Cask # 2841) and costs an average 140 US Dollars. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: This is my first Tamdhu and also one of the oldest Whiskies I've tasted so far. It certainly did not disappoint. The Barley is Fat and Juicy and I can see why Blend producers would like to include Tamdhu in the mix. I quite like the Nose that presents a mature, balanced and creamy mix of Fruit, Honey, Malt and Butterscotch. Palate and Finish are not quite as balanced. The age is showing and Oak and Alcohol are a bit too present there. The Finish is on the short side and quite Dry with a very distinctive Aniseed note. Despite the flaws, I enjoyed tasting this Tamdhu. Good Price/Age/Quality ratio.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 30, 2015

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

Glenburgie 1997 (Douglas Laing) Review - Tormore 2004 (Gordon & MacPhail) Review - Tamdhu 1987 (Mo Or) Review

“Speyside Special # 5” 

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. At the request of many of my readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the form of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific region like today or with specific distilleries, bottlers or countries. These reviews will concentrate on the Whisky and won't touch too much details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review three random Speyside Single Malts. Enjoy!

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Whisky Review # 797

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenburgie - Speyside Edition Nr. 4 - Especially bottled for Germany
Bottled by: Douglas Laing - The Old Malt Cask Series in April 2013 - 708 bottles

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years - Distilled June 1997

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Refill Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price: US$ 65 (January 2019)
Buying Advice:😀Pleasant Easy-Going Speyside Malt with a good P/Q ratio 👍.

Colour:

Old Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet and a little Meaty and Dusty. A few Sour notes as well. The Sherry Cask influence is clear. Please give this Glenburgie enough time in the glass before Nosing as the Alcohol is quite present. I find a little bit of Sulphur as well but it stays within acceptable limits. The Nose is okay but nothing out of the ordinary.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, lightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Nuts, Dried Fruit like Sultanas & Plums, Caramel, Straw and Grass, Apple, Pear, Orange, Pineapple, Dried Herbs, Dusty Earth, Oak, Pepper, Mint and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Toffee, Heather Honey, Wax, Red Grapes, Red Berries, Grapefruit, Wet Rocks/Sand, Cinnamon and a twist of Lemon.

Palate:

Bitter Sweet, Malty and Fruity. A few Sour notes. Watch out because it goes down dangerously easy!

Main Flavours:

Toasted and Malted Barley, Butterscotch, Caramel, Straw and Grass, Apple, Pear, Orange, Pineapple, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Ginger and Cardamom.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Buttered Toast, Honey, Strawberries, Grapes, Lemon, Passion Fruit, Nectarine, Lemon, Nuts, Oak, Fruit-Flavoured Tea, Cloves, Cinnamon, Licorice & Nutmeg.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. Quite Fruity. The Oak and Oak Spices are more noticeable towards the Dry end. A little bit of Alcohol remains present. I find Toasted and Malted Cereals, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Straw/Grass,  Apple, Pear, Fresh Strawberries, Orange, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Wax, Dusty Track, Oak, Coconut, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and the Alcohol retreats on the Nose. But you will loose a bit of density at the same time. Palate and Finish do not change a lot. As usual adding Water is a personal decision. I prefer it neat but this Glenburgie easily accepts a few drops.

Rating: 85

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

Drinking Experience:

Good

Conclusion:

The Glenburgie distillery was founded in 1810 by William Paul, initially under the name Kilnflat, It closed in 1870 & reopened as Glenburgie in 1878. Since 2005 the distillery is owned by Chivas Regal (Pernod Ricard). Glenburgie is one of the three main Malt components of the Ballantine's Blend. The other two being Miltonduff and Glentauchers. The only current official Single Malt is the 15 year old. Production amounts to around 4.2 litres per year.

You can't go wrong with this Glenburgie. It's a Fruity and pleasant Speyside Malt that would be a perfect day-to-day dram if you like this type of Whisky. There's nothing really special about it but there's nothing wrong as well. Just easy-going and relaxing. The P/Q ratio is correct and I certainly recommend this Malt.

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Whisky Review # 798

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Tormore 2004 - Distilled on 14-06-2004
Bottled By: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin on 04/05/2016

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 11/12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 61.2% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: First Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrels - Casks 895-898
Chill-Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 55-75 (January 2019)
Buying Advice: 😕Unbalanced. Too high ABV. P/Q Ratio: 👎

Colour:

Light Golden/Pale Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet, Clean and Malty. Not bad bud a bit plain and unexciting. The Alcohol is quite noticeable as could be expected given the very high ABV.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Straw/Grass, Nectarine, Banana, Pear, Bounty Candy Bars, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Toffee, Rose Water, Milk Chocolate, Charred Oak, Apple, Lemon, Gooseberry and Dusty Track.

Palate:

The Alcohol is very strong and it's quite difficult to find your way around it. This Malt definitively needs added Water. The Palate is Sweet, Tannic and Fruity and you will find lots of Oak and Wood Spice.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Straw, Green Apple, Pear, Banana, Gooseberry, Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Menthol, Mint and Cardamom.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather Honey, Brown Sugar, Lemon, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Marzipan & Milk Chocolate.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Tannic and Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. Increasingly Bitter towards the Medium-Dry end. Aggressive Alcohol. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Herbal Cough Syrup, Straw, Banana, Pear, Oak, Lemon Grass, Pepper, Cinnamon, Menthol, Mint and Milk Chocolate.

Drinking Advice:

Adding a few drops of Water is a must in this case and you won't hear me say that a lot! The ABV of 61.2% is simply too high for this relatively Young Spirit. The added Water does not significantly change the overall profile but it's just a little easier to drink it this way.

Rating: 80

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience:

Okay

Conclusion:

The Tormore distillery was founded in 1958 in Grantown on Spey by Schendley Int. who needed a Single Malt for their Long John Blend. Since 2005 it is owned by Chivas Regal (Pernod Ricard). Most of its production is destined for Blends like Long John, Ballantine's and Cream of the Barley. The two official Single Malts are the 14 & 16 Years. Production amounts to around 4.8 million litres per year.

I'm usually a big fan of Gordon & MacPhail but in my opinion they have got this one wrong. I love Cask Strength Whiskies but this Tormore Spirit is simply too Young and, well delicate, to accept such a high ABV. As a result I can't find any balance here. I can pick up individual Aromas and Flavours but the sum of them is not coherent. It just does not seem to go anywhere. It's not a cheap Single Malt as well and given the above I would not recommend it.

 

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Whisky Review # 799

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Tamdhu 1987 (Release # 17) - Distilled 02/07/87
Bottled By: Mo Or (The Whisky Talker) on 02/12/2010

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Whisky - Cask # 3649 - 656 Bottles
Age: 23 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Oloroso Sherry Butt
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 140 for a 50 cl Bottle (January 2019)- Hard to Find!
Buying Advice: 😀Nice Sherried Speysider. Should have been bottled at CS.

Colour:

Dark Amber with Shades of Orange (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet, Mature and Complex. Clear Sherry Cask influence. Lots of Dried Fruit, Nuts and Dark Chocolate. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. The Oak is there as well of course and it's a bit Dusty but it's just part of the Aroma profile and does not dominate. Nice!

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Dried Fruit (Apricot, Raisins, Dates), Mixed Nuts, Orange Marmalade, Dark Chocolate, Dried Herbs, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Straw, Red Apples, Dusty Oak, Dry Earth, Mint, Leather, Tobacco, Licorice and Espresso.

Palate:

A little on the Thin side which comes unexpectedly after the fine Nose. On the Palate this Tamdhu is Medium Sweet, quite heavy on the Sherry but with a few Herbal, Bitter and Sour notes for balance. Dry towards the end.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Apricots and Dates, Orange Marmalade, Dark Chocolate, Mixed Nuts, Espresso, Pepper, Ginger and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Toffee, Treacle, Straw, Dusty Oak, Dry Earth,  Red Apples, Fruitcake and Lemon.
  
Finish:

Middle-Long, Dry and a little Thin. Mostly Sweet but with a few Bitter, Herbal and Oaky notes as well for balance. I didn't notice it on the Nose but Palate and Finish clearly show that this Tamdhu should have been bottled at Cask Strength. I find Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Dried Fruit like Apricots and Raisins, Orange Marmalade, Honey, Dark Chocolate, Mixed Nuts, Espresso, Dusty Oak, Dry Earth, Tobacco, Pepper, Menthol and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

On account of the small sample, I only tasted this Tamdhu Neat. It didn't feel like it on the Nose but Palate and Finish clearly show that this Tamdhu should have been bottled at Cask Strength.

Rating: 86.5

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

Drinking Experience:

Good.

Conclusion:

The Tamdhu distillery was founded in 1896 by a group of Blend producers lead by William Grant. Ian MacLeod Distillers bought Tamdhu in 2011 from Edrington and it currently produces around 4 million litres per year. Tamdhu is used in Blends like Cutty Sark, J&B and the Famous Grouse but more and more it also produces Single Malt whiskies. The core range includes the 10,12 and 15 Years.

This Tamdhu is a nice Sherried Speysider but I do think that Mo Or should have bottled it at Cask Strength. As it is, Palate and Finish are a bit on the Thin side and slightly disappoint after the very nice and full Nose. A 23 Year old Whisky can't be cheap of course but at Cask Strength the P/Q ratio would have been in order even considering it would have been a bit more expensive. Since it was bottled at 46%, I find the price tag a bit hefty though.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 January 29, 2019

Cutty Sark Storm Review

“Great Value For Money”

Country: Scotland
Region: N/A

Brand: Cutty Sark Storm

Type: Blended Whisky
Age: NAS

ABV: 40% 
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Whisky Review # 593
Buying Advice: 😀 Positive. Good Price/Quality ratio. Just don't expect miracles! 

Colour: Light Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Mainly Sweet with some Sour and Salty accents. The Grain Alcohol is very present. A tiny bit of Smoke and Sherry in the background. I also find Toasted Cereals, Toast and Margarine, Earth and Grass, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Caramel, Butterscotch, some Nuts and Dried Fruits (Sultanas and Hazelnut), a little Fruit (Pineapple or perhaps Mango and overripe Bananas), light Citrus, Refill Wood, light Spices (Cinnamon and Nutmeg) and a hint of Tobacco. I can't get excited about this. It's still quite similar to the standard Cutty Sark I reviewed earlier. A bit more Fruit perhaps.     

Palate: Slightly Thin delivery. Light, Bitter Sweet and mildly Spicy. On the Palate and in the Finish, the Single Malt component is more noticeable. I find Toasted Cereals, light Honey, Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Caramel, Dried Fruit (Apricot and Sultanas), Pear, slightly Bitter Orange, Vanilla, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint, light Licorice, Charred Oak and a hint of Tobacco. The faintest puff of Smoke from a very distant fire.  

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and mildly Spicy. Dry towards the end. I find Sugared Cereals, Vanilla, Charred Oak, slightly Bitter Orange Juice, Menthol, light Licorice, Caramel, Corn Syrup, Sultanas, Pepper, light Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and a hint of Tobacco. On the Palate and in the Finish the Storm clearly beats the standard Cutty Sark.

Due to the fact that I merely had a small sample at my disposal, I only tasted this Blend neat.

Rating: 79.5

Nose: 20 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

General Remarks:

The first Cutty Sark blend was created in 1923, at first especially for export to the USA during the Prohibition. The logo represents a drawing of a Sailing Ship constructed in Scotland in 1869 that bore the same name. Today the blend is still popular in the USA but also in countries like Spain and Portugal where it is often mixed.

In 2012 Cutty Sark's Master Blender Kirstin Campbell created the Storm. It has a higher Malt content than the Standard Cutty Sark and the Malts used are older as well. The blend consists of Grain Whiskies from Edinburgh's North British Distillery and is said to contain around 20 Single Malts, mainly from Speyside. At its heart lies Glenrothes. Other renowned contributions might include Tamdhu, Highland Park, Macallan and Bunnahabhain. The Grain whiskies are blended together and so are the Single Malts. Afterwards they are then “married” together. Cutty Sark is currently owned by the Edrington Group. The core range consists of the Cutty Sark, the Cutty Sark Storm and the 12 and 18 Years. The Storm is quite affordable and is usually priced in the 25-30 US Dollar range (February 2017).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: The Storm is indeed an improvement over the regular Cutty Sark. Not so much on the Nose but certainly on the Palate and in the Finish where the higher Malt content is noticeable. I also didn't find any off notes in the Storm. At an average 25 US Dollars, the Storm has an excellent Price/Quality ratio and it easily beats most of the Bottom Shelf Blends. It's one of the few cheaper blends that you can actually enjoy neat although it's a bit Thin on the Palate. Don't expect Whisky Heaven when you buy the Storm because that's impossible at this price level. But it's an acceptable Blend with an excellent P/Q ratio. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 2, 2017

Glenrothes