Tamdhu 12 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

(Credit: Ian Macleod Distillers)

Located right in the middle of the Speyside region, Tamdhu Distillery has spent most of its existence furnishing malt for use in other blends. My understanding is that it has been such a reliable producer in this respect that it is jokingly referred to as the “Can-dhu Distillery.” That said, Tamdhu has not escaped the ups and downs of the Scotch business, having been shuttered and traded multiple times since the 1890s, with the longest closure being from 1928 to 1948.

The distillery was closed again by then-owner Edrington in 2009, and then sold to Ian MacLeod Distillers in 2011, who reopened the distillery in 2012. Ian MacLeod also used the stocks they inherited to introduce Tamdhu as a modern brand, with their standard bearer and entry-level single malt being the Tamdhu 10 Year Old. We covered that expression almost six years ago, so it’s past time to come around to the next step up, the Tamdhu 12 Year Old.

This single malt follows the Tamdhu style, aged entirely in Sherry casks. That puts it in the same general category as The Macallan and The Glenfarclas. The 12 Year Old is bottled at 43% ABV.

The Scotch
This is a golden pour, with a nose of a wet, not quite fully baked cinnamon roll with plump raisins and orange zest. The flavor is like the syrup running off from a stew of prunes, figs and raisins, poured onto a plank of green oak. This was accented by a hint of astringency that expressed itself as smoke, although I must be clear that I am not labeling this Tamdhu as a peated whisky. It’s not smoky or smoked, but there is a flavor note in there that takes on that character for me, ever so slightly. It’s like bourbon and “barrel char;” that flavor note has nothing to do with the charcoal in the barrel. Yet it is that element that rolls out into the finish, leaving a dab of tannin and ash on the tongue.

The Price
From what I’ve seen, you should expect to pay $60 for this in the US. For readers in the UK, the price is £45.