Tamdhu

tamdhu-distillery

History The distillery was founded in 1896 by a group of assemblers, wishing to engage in the production of their own whisky. The first malt whisky was distilled and casked in 1897. It quickly passed on into the hands of Highland Distillers. The history of the distillery was fairly quiet, without changing owners, but still marked by a long dormancy between 1927 and 1947. Its production capacity was tripled between 1972 and 1975. The distillery has now 3 wash stills and 3 spirit stills. Its annual production of pure alcohol is 4 million gallons. Unlike its neighbors the Tamdhu distillery has no roof-shaped pagoda above its malt furnaces. This is one of the last distilleries to malt all of its barley on the spot by a mechanical saladin. The Tamdhu whisky is almost completely used for the production of blended whiskies, such as The Famous Grouse, J & B and Cutty Sark. Tamdhu’s traditional single malt bottling does not mention its age, but a recent addition to its product line includes a 10-year-old distillery bottling. Other single malts are sold by independent bottlers. It was announced that as of April 2010, the Tamdhu Distillery, belonging to the Highland Distillers subsidiary of the Edrington Group, was being closed and the plant shuttered. It was then sold to Ian MacLeod Distillers in June 2011, who recommenced production of single malt in May 2013.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • Tamdhu 10 Year Old Whisky Tamdhu 10 Years Old (2013) - Tamdhu 10 Years Old (40%, OB, 2013) 40% ABV, £30 for 70cl Score 74/100 What they say: Enthused by a legacy of enlightenment, Tamdhu’s founders set out to construct the most pioneering […]
  • Tamdhu_15YR Bottle & Box_150dpi Tamdhu 15 Years Old (2020) - Tamdhu 15 Years Old Whisky Review: Delicious a very well sherry-matured but definitely light-bodied Speyside-type spirit, the cereal notes are saved for the finish. 88/100
  • Tamdhu BatchS_Bottle_ONLY_003__2017_Release_58_3%+70cl_150dpi Tamdhu Batch Strength 3 (2018) - Tamdhu Batch Strength 3 whisky review: Very sherried and a little spirity at points, this is full of dark chocolate and red fruits which combine wonderfully here. 85/100
  • Tamdhu batch strength 004 Tamdhu Batch Strength 4 (2021) - Spicy, spirity and perhaps a touch youthful. Develops some lovely flavours but I couldn't help but think this was markedly youinger than previous versions I had tried. Perhaps the strength, spice and metallic nature just took the shine off this one a little for me? 83/100
Independent Bottling
Cadenhead
  • Tamdhu 22 Years Old 1991 Port Cask (2014) - Tamdhu-Glenlivet 22 Years Old 1991 Port Cask (57%, Cadenheads, 258 Bottles, 2014) 57% ABV, £56 for 70cl Score: 83/100 What they say: Tamdhu Glenlivet was matured in Port pipes until bottling in […]
Douglas Laing