This Underrated Distillery’s New Ultra-Aged Sherry Cask Whisky Could Hold Its Own With Macallan

There’s a new ultra-aged sherry cask-matured whisky in town, and—shocker—it’s not another Macallan release. No, this is a brand-new 43-year-old single malt from Tamdhu, an under-recognized but superb distillery located in the heart of Speyside that matures its whisky solely in sherry casks. We got an early taste, and it’s excellent.

This is one of the oldest releases from Tamdhu, a distillery that dates back to 1897. It has changed ownership over the years, as is so often the case with scotch whisky distilleries, most recently having been acquired by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2011 (which also owns Glengoyne, Rosebank, Smokehead, and Edinburgh Gin). The 43-year-old is part of the distillery’s new Dedication Collection, which will include other ultra-aged, rare whiskies as future releases, all of which (like the distillery’s entire stock) were aged in Oloroso sherry casks.

“Tamdhu 43-Year-Old’s release is a landmark moment for our distillery,” said distillery manager Sandy McIntyre in a statement. “To have a whisky this age, matured exclusively in three exceptional sherry oak casks, is a true gem that exemplifies the amazing depth and complexity that only time can create. This is an incredibly limited release, with only a select number of bottles available in the U.S., making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

As McIntyre mentioned, the whisky came from just three casks, two of which were distilled and barreled in 1978 and the other in 1979; it was bottled at 50.8 percent ABV. At a recent tasting, I had the chance to sample the whisky alongside Tamdhu single cask expressions aged for about 18 years, one of which was matured in an American oak sherry butt and the other in a European oak barrel. There is a marked difference between the two in terms flavor and color, so the core lineup consists of a combination of the different types of oak. According to Tamdhu global brand ambassador Gordon Dundas, it’s unclear what wood the 43-year-old was aged in, but it’s a lovely whisky nonetheless. The palate is full of notes of chocolate-covered raisin, burnt caramel, orange zest, grape jelly, and ripe tropical fruit with soft tannin and leather on the finish. If you’ve been lucky enough to try similarly aged whisky from the Macallan, it’s interesting to consider how different this liquid is—proof of the many different production factors that make each whisky unique even after spending so long inside a barrel.

Available for $16,000 apiece at specialty retailers, Tamdhu 43-Year-Old comes in an individually numbered crystal decanter inside a metal and wooden box. Only 100 bottles are being released, however, with just a portion of those coming to the U.S. You can also find other bottles in the Tamdhu lineup available to purchase from ReserveBar now.