SLTN talks spirit profile and sherry influence with Tamdhu brand director Iain Weir…
Tamdhu, the Speyside single malt owned by Ian Macleod Distillers, passed a major milestone recently when it introduced its new Tamdhu 21 expression.
Here, brand director Iain Weir talks to SLTN about what makes the storied single malt special.
• The newly launched Tamdhu 21 sits at the head of the brand’s core range. Can you describe the product for us, and why this is an expression that Scotland’s whisky bars should be taking notice of?
Tamdhu 21 year-old is at the pinnacle of our core collection. Launched in May it is a real ‘coming of age’ for Tamdhu.
It is predominantly matured in first-fill European oak Oloroso sherry casks and it has complexity, balance and elegance too from the American oak first-fill and refill casks also included in the creation of this fantastic whisky. Tamdhu 18 year-old is a multi-gold-award-winning whisky, but Tamdhu 21 year-old takes it to the next level again. It is already a shortlisted finalist at the Speyside Whisky Festival Awards 2026.
For the serious whisky connoisseur, trying it is a must. It offers an unmistakable amazing deep, rich and satisfying drinking experience.
• A big part of Tamdhu’s point of difference is its exclusive sherry cask maturation. Is this something that has been introduced during the Ian Macleod ownership or was Tamdhu always exclusively sherry cask-matured?
Our records show that in 1898 our Tamdhu founders were sourcing the finest sherry casks from Spain.
In 2011, when Ian Macleod Distillers purchased Tamdhu, the decision was taken by our chairman to go back to the future – that all bottled/branded Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky must only be matured exclusively in Oloroso sherry casks and must be a natural colour.
• Why do you think the Tamdhu spirit is particularly well suited to maturation in ex-sherry casks? Are there particular notes in the distillate that match well with sherry?
Tamdhu’s new make is very vibrant and fruity, a perfect marriage with the richest and finest of Oloroso sherry casks.
• What is the process for seasoning the casks with sherry? How long does it take and how are the casks then transported to Speyside?
Trees are felled in Spain and USA in a sustainable way. They are then cut into staves and dried naturally in the Spanish sun for over two years until the right moisture levels are achieved for coopering. They are then skilfully coopered in Jerez into casks and toasted and then filled with Oloroso sherry for a further two years.
Our casks are then shipped whole to Tamdhu Distillery to maintain their full integrity and character. On arrival at Tamdhu distillery on Speyside all the casks are then final quality checked before being filled with our new make spirit and placed in our traditional dunnage warehouses to slowly mature for many, many years.
The whole cask making process takes five to six years from ‘Spain to Speyside’.
• Tamdhu uses sherry casks that have been produced from American oak, as well as casks produced using European oak. Can you explain to our readers why that is significant, and how those two types of wood influence the flavour profile of Tamdhu’s expressions?
Tamdhu is beloved for its unique flavour. Our new make spirit combines with the sherry oak cask to deliver rich, fruity flavours and a wonderful natural amber colour.
We use two types of oak to make our Oloroso sherry casks – European oak (Quercus robur) and American oak (Quercus alba). European Oak (mainly Spanish) has an open grain that delivers more character of the oak to the whisky once toasted. It brings a distinctive dark, rich colour to whisky. European oak has a dark fruit style with more tannins which can give a slight dryness across the palate. American Oak has a tighter grain which makes for a lighter, more delicate whisky. It contains more of the organic compound Vanillin than European Oak and is generally lighter in colour, delivering a major flavour component of vanilla.
At Tamdhu, we use first fill and refill Oloroso sherry casks to create a beautifully balanced and complex whisky. First-fill casks deliver more colour and influence on the spirit, while refills let more of the character of the spirit shine through. Sherry cask whiskies have a thicker mouth feel: like the ‘legs’ on a wine, you’ll see the whisky sticking to the sides of the glass more. The new-make spirit draws from the toasted wood to deliver a thicker and richer liquid. The other aspect is the size of casks: Hogsheads are 250L in size while Butts and Puncheons are close to double that size. When fully maturing, this spirit v. wood ratio becomes a really important factor in creating our whiskies. Looking at our core collection, Tamdhu 12 year-old is more American Oak sherry cask heavy forward, Tamdhu 15 year-old is a beautiful balance of American and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, and Tamdhu 18 year-old is predominantly European oak influenced.
• Tamdhu is, of course, just a part of the wider Ian Macleod Distillers portfolio of brands. Can you give us an overview of the portfolio, in terms of the main brands that will be of interest to hospitality businesses?
Tamdhu sits amongst an impressive multi-award-winning stable of Ian Macleod Distillers’ brands from across the different Scottish whisky regions including Rosebank (Lowland) one of the most historic distilleries in Scotland which offers visitor experiences; Glengoyne (Highland), renowned for its sustainable ethos and also open to visitors; and the disruptor brand, Smokehead (Islay). Shortly we will open our new distillery on Islay, Laggan Bay.
We have recently started distilling from our Indian single malt distillery, Una, in the foothills of the Himalayas in northwest India. Exciting times!
We also have our superb Edinburgh Gin and its new distillery in the Arches, Old Town of Edinburgh, which welcomes visitors.
Tamdhu is also working with some major retailers – Tesco and Waitrose – to offer exclusive releases which is significant for the on-trade as it means that brand recognition of the Tamdhu name will be all the stronger by the end of this year – another good reason why high-end Scottish venues should list this whisky.
