Tamdhu 17 Years Old BNSp (Whisky Heroes)

Brave New Spirits bottled this Tamdhu single malt, a 17 year old release and bottled at 50.1%. The outturn was 280 bottles. Tamdhu, first built in 1897 by a blending consortium in Knockando, Speyside, is famed for its sherry cask whisky. Tamdhu ran the last Saladin box maltings in Scotland, the boxes still standing on site.

The spirit was made in copper stills and filled into sherry seasoned oak, for a fragrant, fruity spirit with weight for the cask. An Oloroso sherry cask wrapped the malt in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Past a decade the fruit deepens into fig, raisin, nuts and a warm ginger spice. Long ageing turns the orchard fruit towards fig, raisin and a warm spice. The River Spey runs past the distillery on its way to the Moray coast. Ian Macleod runs Tamdhu alongside Glengoyne and Rosebank. Water is drawn from the Tamdhu Spring on the Speyside site. The distillery was built on a spot once known for illicit distilling.

At cask strength 50.1% it is rich and full. The Oloroso brings raisin, walnut and dark sugar. It is full and deep, the sherried spirit shining through. Raisin and a warm ginger draw out the close. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.