Review: Tamdhu 21 Years Old

The oldest whisky in the Tamdhu core range is this 21 year old expression, complementing its 18, 15, and 12 year old offerings.

As with the rest of the lineup, this 21 year old expression is aged entirely in oloroso sherry casks, both American and European oak, features natural color, and has no chill-filtration.

Tamdhu 21 Years Old Review

21 years of sherry cask aging is a long time, and Tamdhu 21 wears that time on its sleeve. On the nose, it’s really all you can smell, a very austere olfactory punch that features glazed nuts, reduced maple syrup, and wet furniture varnish. Aromatic? You bet, but the intensity is off the charts, that dense aroma of aged citrus peels, pipe tobacco, and a massive pinch of allspice fill the airway completely. Peppery and sweet and so very well aged all at once, it’s hard to shake once the aromatics take hold.

The palate continues the theme — sharp, citrusy, nutty, and leathery all at once. Sherried single malt enthusiasts will find this all too familiar, that Spanish spice verging on an almost hoary rancio character as it sits on the tongue. There’s so much fruit and baking spice here, however, that Tamdhu 21 never falls back into the leatherworker’s shop, treading water just above the line that could suck it into the back room of a Turkish rug shop, closed off in the flavors of antiquity. I liked it best with a healthy splash of water, which brings out the cookie-like notes of chocolate and caramel that you’ll find in some of the 18 year old Tamdhu expression — both particularly evident on the lengthy and citrus-forward finish.

95 proof.

A- / $400

The post Review: Tamdhu 21 Years Old appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.