Tamdhu 16 Year (2006) La Maison du Whisky Artist #13

Scotch Whisky Review : Tamdhu 16 Year (2006) La Maison du Whisky Artist

A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with industry samples provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take these reviews. For more, check out the ethics statement we use on Maltrunners.com.

Distillery: Tamdhu.

Bottler: La Maison du Whisky.

Region: Speyside.

Age: 16 year. Distilled in 2006, bottled in 2023.

ABV: 60.6%. Cask Strength.

Price: See note at top of this review.

Cask Type: Sherry butt.

Color: 1.6, Mahogany / Henna Notes.

This is the fourth installment of this year’s Christmas Countdown. You can find previous installments here.

Nose: This is a sherry bomb for sure! The very sherry forward profile is joined by a nice kick of spices. Golden raisins and a chili chocolate bar are what come to mind.

Palate: This drinks far, far easier than the advertised 60.6% suggests it should. It feels like a super silky smooth and rich caramel coating your tongue. Then, behind that coating, comes a combination of flavors that really reminds me of our honeymoon in Cancún. It’s half Mexican hot chocolate loaded up with cinnamon and other spices and half Mexican coffee (I believe it was cafè afrutado) brewed with loads of fruits and spices. The combination is a lovely mixture of earthy, spicy, fruity, and deliciousness. There’s an apple note that specifically stands out to me after a few sips. Adding a little water enhances the fruit notes with golden raisins popping up but takes away some of the earthier and spicier notes.

Finish: Deceptively long. At first, it feels like it vanishes off your tongue but then it comes back a couple of seconds later and stays for a long while. You get a more of that spice and fruit mix lingering.

Conclusion: It has been a few years since I’ve last had a Tamdhu, in fact this is only the second Tamdhu I’ve reviewed (here is the first one). That other Tamdhu didn’t particularly impress but this one certainly has my attention. It is a heavily sherried dram loaded with depth of flavor. The combinations of fruit, spice, and earthiness are fantastic and had me wanting to go for more and more. The memories it invokes of our honeymoon with the spiced hot chocolate and coffee were amazing. If it were not for the hefty price tag, I’d be hunting one of these down. Even with it, I might still yet try to get my hands on one.

Rating: 90.

Scotch Whisky Review , Speyside Review , Whisky Network Review

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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