Tamdhu 18 Year

When Tamdhu was relaunched as a premier distillery, they began releasing their single malts as they matured. Initially, there was the 10 year old; then the 12 and 15, and quite recently, they introduced two 18yo expressions, one of them being cask strength. This 18yo is actually a limited edition, not the cask strength version, but it has a respectable 46.8% ABV and a lovely natural copper hue. On the nose, it presents delightful orange chocolate; incredible caramel, fancy toffee, vanilla cookie dough coated in dulce de leche. Toffee, caramel, dulce de leche. It carries all the signature Tamdhu notes. Rich vanilla. On the palate, it's precisely like dulce de leche ice cream. Spices have emerged, red chili. Vanilla. Aftertaste is not intricate, offering just two flavors, but both were very enjoyable: Red chili and dulce de leche. It's remarkably spicy. Overall, Tamdhu has elevated their usual elegance in this bottling. It resembles a typical Tamdhu, but significantly more refined. This isn't a bad approach for this distillery, as most whiskey enthusiasts seek smoother and enhanced versions of whiskies they already favor, especially with older expressions. Nothing groundbreaking here, just a superior execution of a very good whiskey. My rating for it is 90 out of 100.

Nose: Citrus, subtle spice, dried fruit, and sweet raisins. Palate: Flavors reminiscent of fruitcake and Christmas, with orange, abundant dried fruit, sweetness, dried fig, and licorice candy. Finish: A medium-long finish featuring nutty notes, baked goods, dried fruit, and light spices like black pepper, allspice, and cinnamon. A distinct sherry character is present throughout. This expression is overwhelmingly dominated by sherry. Rich and indulgent, it centers on fruit and sherry flavors, evoking a festive, Christmas-like experience. Composed of a blend of American and European oak casks previously containing Spanish Oloroso sherry. Bottled at 46.8% ABV. Ranked third among the six samples tasted, receiving 18% of the votes for favorite of the evening. 88% of attendees reported enjoying the whisky. This was my personal favorite of the tasting. Tasted on July 22nd, 2022, marking 125 years and one day since the Tamdhu distillery's inauguration.

A delightful color, pleasing to behold. Very rich aroma of caramel, toffee, dark chocolate with orange, vanilla cookies and fruit. The taste adds a very oily, very warm character with pleasant spicy notes, moving to vanilla ice cream with caramel glaze. The finish is very long and warm, with honey, caramel, toffee and most notably, jam from ripe plums.

Full-bodied, with notes of Christmas spices, mincemeat, and toffee. While not overly complex, it's incredibly satisfying, offering a fine harmony of toffee, raisins, and woody spice, with pleasant length and depth.

A sweet, smooth, comforting Speyside.

Very sherry-like.