Tamdhu distillery manager picks single cask whisky

Sandy McIntyre, distillery manager for Tamdhu, has chosen to bottle a 2003 first-fill American oak oloroso Sherry butt for his Tamdhu Distillery Manager’s Single Cask vintage.

Bottled at 56.2% abv without chill-filtration or caramel colouring, the whisky has been matured for 15 years to deliver aromas of raspberries, clotted cream, citrus, banana, mint, spice and ginger nuts. On the palate, the whisky is said to have a creamy mouthfeel with flavours of cinnamon, soft fruits and cocoa nibs, leading to a fruity finish with vanilla and brown sugar. Only 595 bottles will be available to buy from the distillery as part of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (2-6 May), as well as online at tamdhu.com.our-collection. It has been priced at £250 (US$325) per bottle. McIntyre said: “The single cask I have chosen is a 15-year-old American oloroso Sherry butt, which plays very much to my individual preferences – a relaxing vanilla undertone with the balance of fruit from the oloroso coming through behind it. A mellow dram that you can enjoy at any time of the day, but which is very smooth and particularly moreish that you will pick up time and time again. “The variation between the two single cask types shows clearly the colour and flavour influences that the American and European oak has on the new make spirit and allows us to marry the two together for our Tamdhu core collection single malt expressions.”