Review #768 - Tamdhu 18 Year
The ethos at Tamdhu distillery revolves around sherry cask aging, specifically full-term maturation in the fruity wine casks. For the most part, these are Oloroso sherry casks which are sourced from Jerez; with extended maturation periods, that sherry influence can become quite strong on the spirit, even with the use of second fill or refill casks.
Here's one of the older single malts in the Tamdhu core range: the 18 year old version. It was indeed fully-matured in Oloroso sherry casks, some of which used American oak, and others which were made from spicier European oak. In addition to the extra 3 years of aging that we get over the 15 year version, there's also a slightly bump in strength with this release: 46.8% ABV, up from 46% ABV.
On their website, Tamdhu lauds this whisky as a rare, limited edition that brings richness and distinctive character; let's see if it can live up to that reputation.
Tamdhu 18 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 200 (2026)
Age Statement: 18 Years
Strength: 46.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: American oak and European oak Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 70%, and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Dark and brooding with rich fruit notes: blood orange, plum, blackcurrant, and blackberry. Spices like cinnamon arrive, and we get soft wood notes and some oatmeal-like barley. Soft perfume arrives later, and the oak takes on a sweeter side; it's brooding but soft overall.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Strong dark fruits, both sweet and acidic: raisin, blackcurrant, more blood orange and blackberry. Dark chocolate adds a semi-sweet side, and oak spice adds a drying dimension. This mimics the nose well; we also get some perfume at the end, along with fig.
Finish: Grape skins and cocoa powder, perfumed oak, a little bit of a savory note on the back end along with more oaky spice. Raisins and prunes bring fruit, but we also get a nice malt side from the spirit; it's musty and dark, and the finish is medium-long.
Final Note: This is a very nice single malt from Tamdhu - that full-term sherry maturation shows in the strong, dark fruit notes that almost overwhelm the nose and palate. There is a nice oak dimension to this too, though - noticeably more than the 12 year and 15 year versions. A decent amount of spice, and that perfume note that permeated the tasting sessions really showed some of that age.
Value is a little below average, though, because this is also pretty expensive. The price is a bit above average for 18 year old single malts these days, and we think there are some better deals in the sherry bomb flavor profile.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.13
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
