Tamdhu 35 Years Old 1973 Cask #3230 (G&M)

Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, this Tamdhu, a 35 year old release from 1973, drawn from cask 3230 and bottled at 56%. A release of 481 bottles. Tamdhu, founded in 1897 by a group of blenders at Knockando on the River Spey, is famed for its sherry cask whisky. 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. Past twenty years the spirit turns rich and waxy while keeping its fruit. Refill oak lets the fruity distillery character lead beneath the sherry. 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.

Undiluted at 56%, it is layered. The Oloroso brings a fruity, sherried depth. A baked apple and a warm ginger lift it. Raisin and a warm ginger draw out the close. This is the sherried Speyside malt of Tamdhu.