Tamdhu 2002 Single Cask #7389

I recently ran a poll on the Tamdhu Appreciation Society Facebook page to decide which of my many Tamdhu bottles to open. This one was the clear winner. Distilled on 12/12/2002 from cask #7389, a first-fill European oak sherry butt, it was selected fifteen years later by the fifteen employees at Tamdhu for their 120th anniversary. Bottled in April 2018 at cask strength of 59.3% ABV, without chill filtration or artificial coloring. The liquid is a deep, dark reddish-brown. The cask produced 603 bottles. This tasting is from bottle 238. The aroma is potent, an intensely rich sherry bomb. Prominent sherried oak with a wealth of wood spices, including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger. Dense fruitcake, dark berries, raisins, cranberries, cherries, plums, and baked apples. A profound, dark sweetness of caramel, toffee, and pancake syrup. Rich chocolate sauce, milk and dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and mocha. Leather, tobacco, black licorice, and a subtle smokiness (not peaty). Orange oil, almonds, pecans, walnuts, and a hint of mint. Cough syrup, cherry hard candies, a faint amaretto hint, and a trace of the barley's origin. Adding water reveals more toffee, caramel, and cherry, and it becomes slightly ashy. The palate has an intense arrival with considerable heat, but the burn is incredibly pleasant. Ample sherry and oak are present. Raisins, cherries, dried cranberries, and orange peel. Brown sugar, vanilla, and abundant wood spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, anise, and pepper. Pecans, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnut. Caramel, chocolate, chocolate oranges, black licorice, and fennel. Dark berries like blackberries and mulberries. Everything is dialed up to the maximum, resembling something just out of a broiler, yet it's too delicious to let cool. Water tempers much of the heat but accentuates the oak and wood spice, becoming slightly ashy and tannic. A full-bodied mouthfeel that is oily, coats the mouth, causes salivation, and then becomes dry. The finish is extremely long with sherry, oak, berries, cherries, chocolate oranges, and tobacco. Cask strength Tamdhu is truly exceptional. A magnificent sherry bomb exhibiting power, complexity, and immense flavor. The Dalbeallie Dram I sampled previously was another outstanding example of CS Tamdhu (though not a single cask). I can't definitively say if this was superior or inferior to that one, merely different. This bottle set me back approximately $350. Was the whisky worth that price? No, but the significance of what it represents certainly is, and I am pleased I purchased a second bottle for safekeeping. It is regrettable that Tamdhu prices their single cask releases so high, as they are remarkably good and should be more accessible. This offering earns a near-perfect 4.75 score. Enjoy!