Tamdhu 35 Years Old 1980 10th Anniversary of Creative Whisky Company 2005 2015 (Creative Whisky Company)

This is a Tamdhu single malt, chosen and bottled by Creative Whisky Company matured to 35 year old from 1980 and bottled at 48.6%. 118 bottles in all. Founded in 1897 in Knockando, in the heart of Speyside, Tamdhu is a sherry led Speyside malt. For decades its malt fed blends such as the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark.

The spirit was run through the distillery's onion shaped stills, and laid down in Oloroso casks for its sherried depth. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. Long ageing brings a dense dried fruit, leather and a mellow oak spice. The full bodied make carries the sherry cask well across long maturation. 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. Mothballed in 2010, the distillery was revived by Ian Macleod and relaunched in 2013.

At a full 48.6% it is bold and fruity. The ex-Bourbon lends vanilla, honey and apple over the malt. The mouthfeel is rich, the fruit carried on a sherried body. A warming, sherried finish lingers. This is Ian Macleod's sherry led Speysider.