Tamdhu 20 Years Old 1995 Best Casks of Scotland (Jean Boyer)

Bottled by Jean Boyer, this Tamdhu, a 20 year old from 1995 and bottled at 43%. Just 940 bottles were filled. Tamdhu was established in 1897 on a Speyside site once known for smuggling; its rich, sherried malt has a devoted following. 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.

Distilled on soft Speyside water in onion stills, building the rich, sherried style Tamdhu is known for. Maturation in Oloroso sherry laid fig and raisin over the spirit. By this age the sherried spirit rounds into dried fruit and a nutty depth. The fragrant, fruity spirit has the weight to stand up to active sherry wood. The Spey valley's cool air gives a slow, even maturation in the warehouses. Tamdhu was built in 1897 by a consortium of blenders led by William Grant. The arrival of the Strathspey railway in the 1860s made the distillery possible. For decades its malt fed blends such as the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark.

Reduced to 43%, it is mellow. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth. A baked apple and a warm ginger lift it. The close is warm, dried fruit over soft oak. This is the sherried Speyside malt of Tamdhu.