Tamdhu 10 Years is the flagship single malt from the 121 years old distillery located in the central Speyside region of Scotland. It’s a distillery that’s been through a rough history, as many of the distilleries in Scotland have, and in recent history was mothballed from 2009 – 2012 which is one of the reasons why a 10 year old whisky is sitting on the shelf at $60+; it’s all sourced from stocks distilled before their 3 year closure. The other reason is the sherry casks which can cost up to 10x more per cask than bourbon casks on the open market.
In Tamdhu’s Words: Tamdhu 10 Years Limited Edition
“Tamdhu 10 Year Old is our signature malt and the first release in our slowly maturing range of exquisite whiskies. Matured exclusively in sherry oak casks, the finest in the whisky industry, we ensure every drop is as magnificent now as our founders envisioned over a century ago. Finally, 10 long years are required to allow these fine casks to do their work, giving Tamdhu its wondrous natural color and award-winning quality.”
I recently ran a tasting for a bunch of folks interested in learning more about whisky and the two favorites of the night were the Tamdhu 10 Years and the Ohishi 1257 with the most recent Kilchoman coming in a close third; clearly the group involved was into sherry. It was an awesome night and as you’ll see below in the Tamdhu 10 review this is an awesome whisky.
Tamdhu 10 Years Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Tamdhu
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Sherry
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 43%
Price: $64
Tamdhu 10 Years Review
EYE
Ruddy amber
NOSE
Sherry rolls out layered with notes of malt, citrus, vanilla cupcakes, dark fruit, baking spices and light bits of nuts and a coppery red wine reduction. Completely enjoying this!
PALATE
Dark syrupy fruit, earthy malt, nuttiness, citrus peels, cocoa powder, grapey (not raisiny) notes speckled with copper and red wine. I’m enjoying the palate even more than the aroma.
FINISH
Long nutty fade dotted with notes of sherry, malt, vanilla pudding and cocoa.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, medium body and an oily feel.
OVERALL
I’m mad at myself for not trying Tamdhu 10 Years sooner… What… The… Frack! This is the kind of heavily sherried daily drinker I’ve been looking for. It’s not a crazy sherry bomb, but instead holds a nice balance of sweet and spicy notes with earthier malt and nut notes. It’s a seriously wonderful thing.
While sniffing the Tamdhu 10 Years I keep picturing a fruitcake cupcake with a light vanilla citrus frosting. On the palate it’s a similar experience, but with a nutty core running through it which hangs out through the long finish. I wasn’t kidding in the above paragraph – this Tamdhu 10 Years is something I could happily come home and sip any night of the week and for only about $70 after tax it’s not a far fetched fantasy.
SCORE: 87/100 (B+)
