Tamdhu Batch Strength Cask #Batch 003

This Tamdhu, an official release, drawn from cask Batch 003 and bottled at 58.3%. Opened in 1897 on a Speyside site once known for smuggling, Tamdhu is a sherry led Speyside malt. For decades its malt fed blends such as the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark.

Distilled on soft Speyside water in onion stills, building the rich, sherried style Tamdhu is known for. An Oloroso sherry cask wrapped the malt in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Carrying no age, it leans on dried fruit, nuts and a warm spice. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the sherried, fruity core over time. 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. The River Spey runs past the distillery on its way to the Moray coast. Ian Macleod runs Tamdhu alongside Glengoyne and Rosebank.

At its natural 58.3% it is concentrated. The Oloroso brings fig, raisin and a gentle ginger. It is full and deep, the sherried spirit shining through. It finishes rich, fruity and warming. This is Ian Macleod's sherry led Speysider.