Tamdhu The Tamdhu Club 18 Years Old 2003

This official Tamdhu single malt, aged 18 year old from 2003, drawn from cask 7196 and bottled at 59.3%. 582 bottles in all. Established in 1897 at Knockando on the River Spey, Tamdhu is a sherry led Speyside malt. It was built by a consortium of blenders led by William Grant and designed by Charles Doig; the name is Gaelic for little dark hill.

It was worked through onion stills for a rich Speyside spirit, then filled into sherry seasoned casks, the heart of the Tamdhu style. Sherry seasoned oak gave the dried fruit richness Tamdhu is known for. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller dried fruit over the orchard fruit. Refill oak lets the fruity distillery character lead beneath the sherry. Mothballed in 2010, the distillery was revived by Ian Macleod and relaunched in 2013. Sherry casks, both Spanish and American oak, define the modern Tamdhu. The name Tamdhu is Gaelic for little dark hill, and the architect was Charles Doig.

At its natural 59.3% it is concentrated. The Oloroso brings a fruity, sherried depth. Beneath it run fig, raisin and a warm spice. It finishes rich, fruity and warming. This is the sherried Speyside malt of Tamdhu.