Ian MacLeod Distillers have big plans for Speysider Tamdhu – though you’d not know this from the distillery’s current core range lineup, which can be counted on a single hand. Following Tamdhu’s closure in 2010 (by then owners Edrington), MacLeod have nurtured the distillery since 2012, installing new washbacks, warehousing and a visitors centre. As well as introducing a new range of young sherry-forward expressions over the last few years, they have sought to supplement the distillery’s existing aged-stocks with casks of their own spirit, which have been producing since May production commenced in 2013.
Exploring older whisky should not always be about seeking out legendary expressions and venerable age statements. Whilst not all releases stand as milestone moments for a distillery, there are aspects of every bottling that have something interesting to say about their creation and creators. Changes to production and maturation techniques, variations in consumer tastes and expectations, and adaptations to labelling and marketing – all of these can be gleaned from exploring older whiskies. Not everything has to be radical and revolutionary - every whisky marks a certain point in time.
Tamdhu was founded in 1896, and barring several closures (one long: 1927 – 1947 and one short: 2010 – 2011) quietly went about making malt whisky for use as filler in many well-known blends such as Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. The distillery was picked up by Ian MacLeod Distillers (owners of Glengoyne) in 2011 and production resumed in 2013 with a new focus – 100% sherry cask maturation. Since the handover, the distillery has produced only a handful of bottlings: a 10 year old and a Batch Strength make up the current core range, with a limited edition 10 year old matured that has been matured in first fill sherry casks providing a more exclusive experience.
I’ve written before about why I don’t believe that the growth of whisky is a bubble – at least not one analogous to the well documented crashes of financial markets and certainly not in any way comparable to tulips. Just stop. But, regardless of whether I’m right or wrong, I’m here to suggest to enthusiasts that the viewing the whisky market as some form of boil that requires lancing is an immense mistake.