It's time for another sample from the third round of our Scottish whisky trading team. This is the Tamdhu 10 year that was supplied by Ryan (via Me). I purchased this bottle here off the shelves in Virginia for around $80. I believe that price is on the higher side, but it was a spontaneous purchase while shopping locally. This Speysider was previously considered a major player in Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse blends until recently when it was turned into a distillery released, single malt. The U.S. export bottles are 43% ABV, instead of the U.K. standard 40%. That is a welcome difference, IMO. It's a beautiful, new penny copper in color and produces thicker, yet more watery legs in the taster. The nose opens with typical sherry notes, stewed berries and candied almonds. There's a faint bit of cedar rounding things out. It's slightly Macallan-esque on the nose and palate. That's good company to be in, if I might add. The palate starts with a thin layer of caramel, chocolate and normal sherry notes before fading into cinnamon and oak spiciness. I think this is the kick from the slightly higher ABV. It turns this from a straight dessert dram into a solid, sipping whisky. The finish is shorter than I'd like, spicy and drying as the overall oak flavors wash everything away. I did notice a wonderful chocolate flavor settle in after a few minutes. I found the finish more fulfilling as time passed. Overall, this is a quality dram. It seems good at slightly imitating Macallan 12, while being 2 years younger. The problem is that at $80 it's above Macallan's local price point. If this were $25 cheaper it would be a no-brainer as a quality replacement for Mac12. As is, it's a solid whisky and still pretty enjoyable. 3.5 stars because it isn't priced appropriately, IMO. Cheers.