Tamdhu 12 Year

A glass of Tamdhu 12 gifts you with aromas of orange mint chocolates (thanks to @waddelles), while at other times it reminds one of the expert review notes of "cherry candy cane". The palate has your red fruits and butterscotch in a playful dialectic that is typical all over Speyside. The finish is a synthesis of those two dancing components, with baking spices closing in on a fair amount of oak. There's not a whole lot of nuttiness going on - which I would've expected from a drier oloroso maturation. That'd have been nice as it would've complimented the flow from sweet to spice. But then again, I don't get any sulfur notes out of this either. And that's about all I could only ask for from a 12 yr scotch priced in the same range as the Macdaddy 12. At a low 86 proof, the mouthfeel is substantive - but don't expect this to blow your socks off. In short, I paid a Macallan-like price for a same age statement whisky, but got a more pleasant experience. (The novel bottle shape is up there in quality with the Mac as well.)

Nose: immediately sherry notes but not really a sherry bomb, cinnamon, vanilla sweetness, for 2nd sip kind of banana notes. Macallan 12 Double Cask is more sherried, this one is more tart, oaky. Palate: changes a lot, starts sweet then spices become more dominant. The Macallan has more active spiciness from the beginning also more nutty. Finish: pungent, fresh spices, dark chocolate dryness. Shorter than the Macallan 12 Double Cask. With water: more sweet on nose and finish also. I prefer the Macallan from these two, more sherry less oak.

It's ok. Drinkable but not anything ill come back to.