Words by Colin Hampden-White
Gordon Dundas of Tamdhu runs through the character of the whisky.
Tamdhu is a whisky worth discovering…
There is a penchant for Scotch whiskies having been matured in Sherry casks and Macallan has been the brand to buy. It is difficult to find whisky which has been completely matured in sherry conditioned casks and not just finished in sherry casks, or blended with casks of other types. There is however a brand with whom you can be sure that the 100% of the whisky has been matured in sherry casks: Tamdhu. If you are a Macallan fan,you are going to love Tamdhu.
More than just sherry casks
Tamdhu believe that a wide range of casks gives them plenty of options to create great whisky. They use a mixture of American oak and European oak sherry casks. Their sherry casks are conditioned in Jerez for the whisky industry and nearly all of those casks are created using American oak. Tamdhu, however, also have casks created using European oak and conditioned for them. What this gives them is the ability not just to create more complex whiskies, but also to bottle single casks matured in both American oak and European oak. This gives us an interesting insight into the differing flavour profiles of these two types of oak.
The Tamdhu range is growing
Tamdhu until recently had a 10 year old in their line up. This has now been upgraded to a 12 year old and the strength increased from 40% to 43%. They have a 15 year old at 46% and they say that in a couple of years, an 18 year old will be added to their line up.
The whiskies are blended from casks of both first fill and second fill American and European oak and the casks are of differing sizes. It is unusual in this day and age to see a whisky brand increasing the age statements of their whisky rather than decreasing them or moving to non age statements. Not that Tamdhu don’t do non age statement whiskies; they have a limited batches of cask strength none age statement whisky, which is now on batch four.
What can one expect when trying Tamdhu?
The 12 year old is rich and remarkably smooth at 43%. One can sip it over time or just as easily add water or a mixer and drink in long. It is versatile; a whisky which is difficult to get bored of. At the other end of the spectrum, the single casks are big bold whiskies, especially the European oak whiskies, which have the typical fruit cake and demerara sugar dominant flavours, with added spices to keep the palate lively and fresh. The American oak single casks still have dried fruit flavours, but they tend to be stone fruits such as apricots and there are core flavours of vanilla and dedicated coconut so often associated with American oak. The two casks I tasted recently, cask 2986 American oak Cask at 56.2% and 2014 European oak cask at 58.9% typified the two flavour profiles and are deeply satisfying whiskies. If your budget can stretch to a single cask bottle though, I’d thoroughly recommend buying one. At a more affordable level, if you are looking for cask strength whisky, then at £65 the limited batch number four is a cracking dram. It can be found at the House of Malt. If you like Macallan, or any whiskies matured in ex Sherry casks, then I think Tamdhu is a whisky you should add to your list, and once you’ve tried it, I think it will stay on your list forever.
I love this limited release batch strength Tamdhu:
ABV: 57.8%
Size: 70cl
The incredibly drinkable and fruity 12 year old can be found at The Whisky Exchange:
ABV: 43%
Size: 70cl
And my favourite, the single cask American oak offering can be found at The Whisky World:
ABV: 56.2%
SIze: 70cl
But it now for £449.90
For more on brilliant whisky that’s blended rather than a single malt, have a read about the great lesser known Johnnie Walker whiskies