Tamnavulin 31 Years Old 1988 Cask #10026 (part) (A.D. Rattray)

A.D. Rattray bottled this Tamnavulin single malt, a 31 year old Speyside malt from 1988, drawn from cask 10026 (part) and bottled at 46.9%. Just 132 bottles were filled. Set at Tomnavoulin, deep in Glen Livet, Tamnavulin has distilled since 1966. Water comes from the Easterton Spring, filtered through the surrounding limestone.

Distilled in copper stills fitted with purifiers, for a light spirit, giving the soft, grassy spirit at its heart. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. Very old Tamnavulin turns profound, waxy and rich yet still fruity. Years in oak round the spirit, the fruit and honey deepening with age. A value priced single malt, it has found a wide audience since its 2016 relaunch. Tamnavulin stands on the site of a 16th century carding mill, its old water wheel preserved on the label. It is one of the few distilleries to sit right on the River Livet.

Bottled at a cask strength 46.9%, it is rich. The refill oak lending honey and vanilla, with apple, pear and a soft honey. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a honeyed body. A gently warming, fruity finish lingers. This is a clean, fruity malt from the Livet glen.