Tamdhu 43 Years Old 1969 Cask #159 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor bottled this Tamdhu single malt, a 43 year old release from 1969, drawn from cask 159 and bottled at 40%. Tamdhu, founded in 1897 by a group of blenders by the Spey at Knockando, is famed for its sherry cask whisky. Tamdhu ran the last Saladin box maltings in Scotland, the boxes still standing on site.

It was drawn off copper pot stills fed by the Tamdhu Spring, for the full, fruity make that suits sherry maturation. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the orchard fruit. Very old Tamdhu turns rich and resinous, dried fruit and old oak in a deep malt. The cool Speyside climate gives a slow, even maturation over many years. 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.

Bottled at 40%, it is rounded. The ex-Bourbon adds vanilla, cream and orchard fruit. It is deep and fruity, the sherry and oak well matched. Fig, raisin and oak see out a long finish. This is a rich, sherried Speyside single malt.