First Editions, Tamdhu 1998, 20yo Cask Strength

Hello friends! I've finally reached my dream destination: the ISLE OF ISLAY. Home of incredible peated whiskies and some unpeated varieties that contribute to an amazing whisky world. The first distillery I visited was the youngest operational one, Ardnahoe. A beautiful location, though the whisky isn't ready yet. Nevertheless, I went to the distillery bar, which offered marvelous expressions, including independent bottlings and rare finds. There, I discovered this Tamdhu 20yo Cask Strength by "First Editions", one of only 265 bottles, bottled at 55.8% alcohol by volume, vintage 1998. On the nose, there's nice complexity. Apples, vanilla, toffee. Quite spicy. Coffee and acetone. Very buttery; corn and freshly baked brownies. After a couple of sips, a full toffee aroma emerges. On the palate, it begins with red apple peel, followed by toffee and caramel. Black pepper. Sweet and very spicy. Vanilla fondant, vanilla cake. The aftertaste is dominated by creamy vanilla. Barley, hay, and toffee. Very well executed. Overall, this was a good whisky, not extraordinary, but featuring classic flavors and aromas delivered well for an enjoyable experience. Tamdhu is known for its toffee profile, which is present here. My score for this balanced dram is 88 out of 100.