Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 004

Nose(neat): A commanding and warmly aromatic combination of oak, oloroso sherry, blackstrap molasses and dark chocolate with big spice notes of exotic origin rumbling in the background - curry spices, freshly ground cardamom, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. There is a spirity tightness and strong prickle from the alcohol volume, which is to be expected, and it makes the nose difficult to penetrate at first. Over time it opens to reveal a little vanilla and some citrus hints. Nose (watered): Much softer with the addition of just a dash of water. Orange juice, red berries, dried apricots and a hint of anise appear. Over time the oak notes re-assert. [The dry-glass aroma is maple syrup toffee]. Palate (neat): Whip-crackingly spicy with effervescent white pepper and sharp dark fruit notes. As the alcohol subsides it develops into a rounder and even more fruit-driven dram featuring a whole packet of mixed dried fruits soaked in oloroso sherry. The palate expands in the direction of bitter marmalade sprinkled with coffee crystals and the texture is well-poised, never venturing anywhere near cloying sweetness. Palate (watered): Delicious semi-sweet sherried fruits, roasted nuts and marzipan. Tropical fruits, gingerbread and warm soft spices. The texture gains creaminess but there is always the reassuring grip of really good oak casks holding everything together. Over time as it evolves it gains more sweetness. Masterfully constructed. Finish (neat): Medium/long. Warming and juicy with milder spice and sherry notes. There is a slightly flinty hardness in the aftertaste and a dark cacao flavour which eventually gives way to juicy dark fruit. Finish (watered): The only substantial differences are the disappearance of the flinty note and appearance of juicy fruit flavours, with an accompanying sweeter aftertaste. This is the first Tamdhu I've tasted that I've really enjoyed, and I enjoyed it a lot. The previous expressions I've tasted have seemed lazy, shy, unbalanced and lacking in presence, but there is none of that here. This is a big, hulking, dry sherry-monster - but an elegant one as well. He is easily tamed with a dash of water and then shows his more sensitive and subtle side. It has a very interesting and engaging progression and responds to dilution very well. It is also sparkling clean and the cask selection was impeccable - if you told me this was from a single cask I'd believe you. The nose is formidable and even when tasted neat the palate is not hot, although certainly intense. However I did prefer it with the addition of just half a teaspoon of water. This lost nothing of the assertive character but allowed a host of very agreeable sweeter and more delicate tones to also emerge. This is a delightful whisky that repays lengthy and thoughtful tasting. Tasted from a purchased 30ml sample. At the asking price it is excellent value and I've just ordered a full-size bottle. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)

Two sherry casks in two nights. Trying to knock a couple of extra drams out in the last few days before my daughter arrives and long contemplative drams get shelved for a while (perhaps?!). N: Dense, dark, and quite broody. Dark treacle or camp fire toffee is mingled with rich spices like cardamon, pepper, cinnamon and perhaps a touch of brighter anise? That spice is layered with dark woody vanillin, tannic oak, and the suggestion of a dark fruit bouquet. This is a smouldering and richly inviting nose but I suspect its also cautionary to whats about to be unleashed… P: Oomph, that is a Chinese New Year Firework. An almost sherbet like pepper flash sets things off with a blaze. Subsequent sips are less assaulting and more ginger like with juicy sultanas, raisins, plums and figgy depths to discover. Orange zest, a hint of mocha and a clean crisp texture that has just the right balance of oak tannin and softening toffee notes to keep everything even and well tempered throughout. My word though, that peppery opening, phwoar. F: Medium. Dark fruit chocolate, a hint of espresso bitterness, and some juicier stewed fruits. Perhaps something nutty, maybe almond. The pepper and the brooding nose suggested that this could take a splash of water. And that it can, the peppery tempest is calmed and there are new elements to be had. A gentler nose with brighter almost tropical zestyness and a brighter aspect to the oak. The palate finds apricot and grilled pineapple, fresh oranges and fresh wood shavings, maybe even demerara sugar. The finish changes little but there is a bit of a coppery presence maybe. Wow, that was unexpected. That really took me deep. This is a heavy weight whisky for sure, that batch strength is not mucking about. But for the depths of the initial nose and the ferocity of the initial taste, this ended up feeling refined and satisfying. Probably not something i would reach for to unwind with, but definitely one for blasting Verdi - Requiem, Dies irea to and considering world domination. Thank you @cascode the depths of your whisky cabinet are a treasure to us all (but mostly me it seems, thanks Sir!). Distiller whisky taste #273 [Pictured here with a piece of the Kambalda Komatiite from Mount Hunt in Western Australia. Komatiite is a highly magnesium-rich rock formed during near complete melting of the mantle and subsequent eruption as a volcanic lava. This rock could only form until around 2.5 billion years ago when the temperature of the mantle was 100-250 C hotter. These rocks are ubiquitous for their green colour and spinifex textures of large needle like dendrite plates of olivine and pyroxene]

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.

My God it's even better than batch 003! The nose! I could just nose this one for days and not get bored. Even though it's marketed as a sherry bomb, it's terribly well balanced. Dark chocolate and dates and baking spices and currants and wave after wave of mouth watering smells. Every visit is a bit different but equally delightful. The taste follows suit, with the addition of creamy, balanced malt with all the other flavors. This is obviously a high quality new make spirit. I went and watched the videos on the Tamdhu website about how they make their spirit and acquire their casks. It clearly isn't just marketing BS, but true integrity in the production process. Absolutely worth the extra $$$. The finish is endless, warming, with reminders of Christmas cookies, particularly ginger snaps, and these little almond sugar cookies I make with maraschino cherries, along with all the same notes from the nose. This is an insanely well integrated malt, and well worth all the effort I took to track it down. My fear was with this being batch 004 that the quality would have slipped, like with the Aberlour that everyone here complains about now, but it mercifully hasn't. The producers at Tamdhu have clearly put high value on quality over quantity, and even at $90, I feel like I got a great deal on a quality malt. Batch 002 was a bit harsh for my palate, and batch 003 was one of the best things I'd ever tasted until now, and batch 004 is even better. The peak of sherry cask aging. Cheers!

Nose - (w/o water) Strawberries, caramel, roasted nuts, berries & cream cream savers hard candies (w/ water) Much less sweet, less fruity, shortbread cookies, flamed orange zest Taste - (w/o water) Hot sweet fruity spice/heat, red berries, rich brown simple syrup, orange zest, raisins (w/ water) Still hot but not as much tingle, orange zest with pith bitterness, raisins, cocoa nib Finish - (w/o water) Orange zest, light bitter pith lingers, lingering heat/tingle, sharp berry/raisin sweet (w/ water) Lightly more bitter orange zest with pith, lingering heat, raisins, brown sugar Score - 85/100 Final Thoughts - This one seems to be greatly affected on the nose with the addition of water. It seems to have made it a bit less fruity, but it also brought out this nice shortbread cookie & orange zest vibe I quite liked. This was quite hot all around at the proof it had though. Intense red berries without and sadly this sort of suffered from this orange pith bitterness that didn't go away with water even. Nice hints of raisins throughout though as expected with a sherried Scotch, but the orange pith bitterness was a bit distracting. This was still tasty, but it was a bit hot & the bitterness that wouldn't go away was a bit distracting. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Not another of this batch NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

The nose is dense and rich starting with a mix of canned peaches in syrup, candied lemon peel and roasted pistachios then oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate chips followed by powdered sugar covered diced strawberries, dehydrated figs and cherries jubilee that transitions to cardamom, anise, and fresh roasted espresso beans with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich oily mouthfeel starting with a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to brown sugar caramelized peaches with a squeeze of lemon on top and vanilla gelato then dark chocolate covered roasted pistachios followed by sour apples, sour cherries, and orange peel that transitions to cardamom, anise, and fresh roasted espresso beans with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with candied lemon peel, sour apple, dark chocolate covered espresso beans, ginger, cardamom, anise and light ash. This is a flavor bomb that the notes are big and bold with moderately soured fruits, dark chocolate and some peppery spices. The nose really surprises you with how rich and dense it is with a great balance that draws you in for a taste that falters slightly with a bitter start before those slightly soured rich flavors come in with a good balance before the finish of fruits, coffee and mild spices. At a price of around $100, I think this is an incredible value in today's market. Thanks so much @ContemplativeFox for the sample, as this was a real treat.