Tamnavulin 27 Years Old 1991 Cask #HL 16113 (Old Malt Cask)

This is a Tamnavulin single malt, chosen and bottled by Hunter Laing, a 27 year old from 1991, drawn from cask HL 16113 and bottled at 46.8%. A release of 308 bottles. Tamnavulin, built in 1966 in Glen Livet, beneath the Cairngorms, is the mill on the hill. It is now owned by the Philippine Emperador group, through Whyte and Mackay.

Distilled on limestone filtered spring water for a delicate make, building the smooth Speyside style it is loved for. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the fruit lead. At this age it is rounded and full, the fruit folded into a honeyed body. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fruity, honeyed core over time. It is one of the few distilleries to sit right on the River Livet. For decades the malt fed the Whyte and Mackay blends rather than single malt. Mothballed in 1995, the distillery reopened in 2007 and launched its single malt in 2016.

At a full 46.8% it is intense yet fruity. Orchard fruit and a grassy lift sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. A ripe pear and a gentle spice lift it. A fruity, lightly spiced finish lingers. This is the smooth face of Speyside whisky.