Jose-Massu-Espinel
Tamdhu 18
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
June 6, 2023 (edited May 23, 2024)
When Tamdhu relaunched as a super distillery, they started bottling their single malts as they grew in time. First it was the 10 year old; then the 12 and 15, and really not too long ago, they have released two 18yo expressions, one of them a cask strength.
This 18yo is actually a limited edition, not the cask strength one, but it has a decent 46.8%abv, with a lovely natural copper color.
On the nose, it has a lovely orange chocolate; incredible caramel, fancy toffee, vanilla cookie dough bathed in dulce de leche. Toffee, caramel, dulce de leche. It has all the classic Tamdhu notes on it. Thick vanilla.
On the palate, it is exactly a dulce de leche ice cream. Spices have risen, red chilli. Vanilla.
Aftertaste is not complex, it gave me only two notes, but both were very enjoyable: Red chilli and dulce de leche. It is actually super spicy.
Overall, Tamdhu has managed to increase their typical elegance in this one. It feels like your standard Tamdhu, but way fancier. That is not a bad strategy for this distillery, since you know that most whisky drinkers want smoother and improved versions of the whisky they already like, specially when they go to an older expression. Nothing too new here, just a better performance of a very good whisky. My score for it is 90 over 100.
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@Anthology i recently tried the Cigar Malt and it was incredible. Better than tge 18
Nice review @Jose-Massu-Espinel ! Have you tried their Cigar Malt (& Distinction) relatively new releases. Wonder how the CM compares to the 18yr
A nice whiskey, for sure. Given that the distillery was silent from mid-2010 and did not run spirit again until early 2013, then all the age statement expressions we have had so far must be pre-2010 spirit runs. The Batch strength expressions may be post-reopening (who knows?). I wonder how much the Saladin box malting contributes to their spirit character? Regardless, it's cool that they still have one. I suspect they may also be committed to using not just good casks but only 1st and 2nd fill casks, rather than resorting to multi-refill like some other distilleries.
@PBMichiganWolverine yes, Tamdhu is a gem in every sense. Hope they keep the good work
@Jose-Massu-Espinel I love the fact that they went back to simple basics. Just good whiskey , matured in quality Sherry casks, all while keeping costs affordable