Tamdhu 20 Year, Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask for K&L
Whisky: Tamdhu 20 Year, Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask for K&L
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 52%
Cask: Refill Hogshead
Age: 20 Years (Distilled Nov. 2000, Bottled March 2021)
Nose: Sweet cereals, honey, and apricot jam. Notes of buttercream and rhubarb with peppery spice, pie crust, and herbal undertones. The aroma was creamy at times, with sweet notes of wallpaper paste and line-dried linens.
Palate: Medium-bodied with notes of Halloween candy, buttercream, and spice. Rooting around in a Halloween candy bag— candy corn, marshmallow, and musk-flavored Lifesavers. Whipped buttercream and sugar on the mid-palate with hints of citrus and butterscotch. Herbal at the end with cracked black pepper and black tea.
Finish: Lingering dryness with a slightly bitter herbal quality.
Score: 4
Mental Image: Halloween Sugar Rush
Notes: My first review of a Tamdhu! The distillery’s spirit frequently reminds me of Miltonduff or Aberlour with its buttery mouthfeel and herbal undercurrents. This bottle was no different, though it had an intriguing transition from sweet candies to dry peppery spice. And, just like those other two distilleries, Tamdhu has spent most of its life as a lesser-known blending malt. While Ian Mcleod has tried to craft a unique brand space for the distillery since they brought it back to life in 2012, I am not sure they have totally succeeded— not yet, anyway.
This cask dates from before Edrington mothballed the distillery in 2009. While it had some intriguing elements on the nose, the palate was a bit of a mess to me as sweet Halloween candies and marshmallows faded toward a bitter, slightly herbal finish. Though the dram did not need water, I found it improved the experience. A few drops of water simplified the profile and brought out some of the underlying fruit.
Altogether the bottle was an intriguing opportunity to try a Tamdhu from its era as an Edrington blending malt with minimal cask influence at an attractive price. At only $80, even considering the elements I did not care for, this was an absolute steal from K&L.
Image Credit: Spirit of Speyside
