There have been many Tamdhus over the last year, probably because the stocks were a bit downsized around the time the distillery was sold from the Edrington Group to Ian Macleod Distillers. Fortunately for them, fruity whiskies have become quite popular during the last couple of years and they fit right in. The fact that the bottles are usually quite affordable helps as well!

Nose:
Full, fruity sherry. In no way is this a heavy dram. Lots of honey with fresh tropical fruits and a certain freshness to it that reminds me of anise. I get grilled pineapple and papaya.

Taste:
Quite a bit sharper than I expected, and a little bit more spicy as well. Pepper, quite sweet and tad dry as well. The woods and spices surprise me!

Finish:
The finish shows a bit more age with quite some wood. It lasts long with bucketloads of fruit. Also some citrus fruit, so not only the tropical stuff. Very good!

This might be one of the best Tamdhu’s I’ve tasted last year! The fruitiness is very good but it is not as one dimensional as some others, and it has a bit more maturity and age to it than the 6 year old by The Ultimate.

Tamdhu 1990-2011, Malts of Scotland, 49.8%, Sherry Butt #8119, no longer available.