The Story of Tamdhu
A late 19th century extension to the Strathspey Railway sparked something of a whisky boom in the village of Knockando. In a short space of time, three new distilleries had sprung up around what was little more than a small farming community. They were Knockando, Imperial and Tamdhu.
Tamdhu was a joint venture between some of the biggest names in the blending industry with Robertson & Baxter, John Walker & Sons, William Sanderson & Co, John Dewar & Sons and Bulloch Lade & Co all involved in its creation. Under the leadership of William Grant, building work began in 1896 and spirit ran from the stills for the first time the following year.
Within months, Grant had taken sole ownership of the site, relying heavily on his position on the board at the Elgin bank for funding. By 1899 though, he had used up all of his resources (and then some) and was forced to sell to Highland Distillers.
Like many businesses, Tamdhu encountered several difficulties in the early part of the 20th century. The infamous ‘Pattison Crash’ brought a loss of confidence in the industry whilst the Great Depression and Prohibition in the US destroyed significant portions of the export market. Tamdhu was forced to close in 1927 and remained silent for two decades.
When the distillery reopened in 1947, the traditional floor maltings had been replaced by 10 Saladin boxes, each capable of holding 22 tons of malt. These rectangular containers were invented by Frenchman, Charles Saladin in the late 1800s and allowed for a dramatic increase in the amount of barley that could be malted in one location. As a result of the upgrade, Tamdhu was able to malt not only its own requirement, but that of Highland Park and Glenrothes too.
Alas, by the turn of the next century, demand for the Tamdhu spirit had waned once more and owner Edrington ceased operations in 2010. Within the year however, Ian MacLeod Distillers, owner of Glengoyne and the Isle of Skye blend, purchased the business and fired up the stills once more. Placing new emphasis on Tamdhu as a single malt brand, a Ten year old expression was launched in an ornate glass bottle. This was later followed by an annually released ‘Batch Strength’ version and even more recently with a 15 year old, bottled at the reassuring strength of 46% abv.
The Whisky
*My thanks to Jonny Allan of the Tamdhu Appreciation Society on Facebook for the sample.
Smell: lots of Sherry with Raisins and Sultanas, Prunes, Figs, Dates, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Honeycomb and Chocolate.
Taste: Good weight on the palate, attack of Sherry to begin with… Maple Syrup and Prune Juice, Raisins, Chocolate Orange, Cinnamon Spice, Dry Oak, Coffee and a little touch of Malt right at the finish.
Thoughts: The price is a bit of a sticking point unfortunately. Beyond any doubt, it is a delicious malt but the price of £80 – £85 seems a little excessive.
Fans of Tamdhu, or indeed any sherry-led single malt will enjoy this whisky and the higher bottling strength has preserved some of the natural oils, so vital to delivering the full depth of the flavour.
A fine dram, let down by some silly pricing.
Click here for more about Tamdhu.
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