Whiskey_Hound
Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 004
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
July 17, 2020 (edited April 1, 2022)
I often see Tamdhu described as the unsung hero of sherried scotch. So I figured I'd give the distillery a go, starting with the Batch Strength. I'm a cask strength enthusiast, so I figured I start with the uncut product. Let's see what Tamdhu is all about.
Nose: As I wrote the first paragraph, I could already smell this one leaping out of the glass. It's a fruit bowl of assorted variety. Apple, pear, apricot, pineapple, orange, lemon, lime, plum, kiwi. Vanilla, butterscotch, toasted almond, marshmallow, toffee. Raisin, date, and fig signify sherry aging. Milk chocolate and frosting. A little nutmeg and some solid oak. Very sweet and a little tangy. No hint of alcohol. Amazing start.
Palate: Dark red notes. Plum, raisin, date, fig, prune, raspberry, and cranberry. Strawberry as well. Dark, sweet. Syrupy and jammy. Maple and molasses. Walnut, almond, and chestnut. Caramel, vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch. Some cola. Some pear, apricot, apple in there as well. Some oak spice, along with cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Solid.
Finish: Beast of a finish. Long, as you'd expect at 57.8% ABV. There's a hit of dry red fruit and nutty notes. Think trail mix. And then a spice bomb. Heaps of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Some orange peel adds a touch of citrus. Great finish.
I paid $70 for this, and I have to say it's an amazing value. It's the cheapest cask strength Scotch I've ever purchased, and it can go toe-to-toe with any of them (not named Lag 12, Ugi, or Corry). Slightly preferred to Aberlour Abunadh, which is a great comparison considering both are CS Scotch.
What else can I say? Highly recommended. Not sure if you can still find this, as I grabbed mine before the turn of the year. It's solid throughout, but boasts one of the best noses I've ever gotten from a Speysider. I'm officially on the Tamdhu train.
70.0
USD
per
Bottle
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I'll have to keep an eye open for this one. I've enjoyed Tamdhu and Aberlour in the past, so this sounds like a clear win!
@cascode I'll look forward to your review of the brand. One would hope that they've upped their game on all fronts with the revision of the core lineup
@Whiskey_Hound I was very unimpressed with the 10 year old, although a lot of people liked it. I picked up a 12 year old the other day but have not opened it yet. So many whiskies.
@WhiskeyLonghorn Thanks man! Your review actually solidified the purpose--I remember it well. I've only had one Batch (#60 I think) of the A'bunadh and thought it was very good. This is just a little better to me. @cascode Thank you sir! So maybe I started off with the cream of the crop and I'm set up for failure with the rest of the offerings. I guess I'll have to find out!
Great review! This is the expression that changed my mind about Tamdhu, a distillery that I had almost written off based on tastings of their younger core range. It’s easily the best sherry-monster in the price range.
Great assessment. One of my favorite bottles from last year. Still see a few of these around now and again. Not widely distributed. You did it justice here. And I agree. Better than Aberlour. Hope Tamdhu doesn’t compromise quality in favor of distribution like Aberlour did.