Tamdhu Distillery
Tamdhu Distillery was founded by a group of blenders who sought to secure a reliable source of malt whisky for their blends. They chose a site near the village of Knockando in Speyside and hired the renowned distillery architect, Charles Doig, to design it. The first spirit run took place in 1897. Within two years, the distillery had been sold on to Highland Distillers.
Despite a lengthy closure between 1927 and 1947, Tamdhu’s spirit became a sought-after blending whisky. Over the years it featured prominently in blends like The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. Despite its usefulness, however, Highland Distillers (by then, part of Edrington), saw fit to mothball the distillery in 2010.
The distillery didn’t lie dormant for long. Two years after it closed, Ian Macleod Distillers, owner of Glengoyne, The Isle of Skye blended Scotch, and the Smokehead single malt brand, stepped in. Tamdhu relaunched in 2013 in the form of a 10-year-old single malt, presented in a beautifully ornate Victorian-inspired bottle. Predominantly matured in Sherry casks, Tamdhu has gone on to win many fans with its rich flavour profile.
Tamdhu 10-year-old Review
Smell: There’s undoubtedly a strong sherry influence. There’s raisins, sultanas, chocolate and honeycomb. Orange liqueur. Dark caramel.
Taste: Again, the sherry leads. There’s dark honey and brown sugar with dark chocolate, dried fruits, cinnamon and a wee touch of ginger. Orange zest.
Thoughts: The Tamdhu 10-year-old is available in the UK for around £35. It’s probably one of the best examples of a sherry-matured single malt at that sort of price.
It feels like it’s still early days for Tamdhu and that there’s more to come from this distillery but for now, the 10-year-old serves as a fine introduction to its charms.
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