Tamnavulin 16 Years Old 2007 Cask #700367 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Single malt Tamnavulin, an independent Gordon & MacPhail bottling, aged 16 year old from 2007, drawn from cask 700367 and bottled at 57.4%. 165 bottles in all. Tamnavulin was founded in 1966 on the River Livet in the Livet glen; it is named for the old mill that stood on its site. For decades its malt fed the Whyte and Mackay blends rather than single malt.

It was worked through purifier stills for a clean, fruity spirit, for the light, fruity Speyside make Tamnavulin is known for. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the light character to the fore. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller fruit while staying light. Racked warehousing on site gives a steady maturation in the glen. Mothballed in 1995, the distillery reopened in 2007 and launched its single malt in 2016. Purifiers on the spirit stills keep only the lightest vapours, for a delicate spirit.

At a hearty 57.4% it carries real weight. Green apple and a soft vanilla sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. It is fresh and clean, the fruity spirit shining through. Apple, honey and oak draw out the close. This is Tamnavulin's smooth, fruity Speyside style.