Speyside distillery Tamdhu has released a 12-year-old entry-level whisky to replace its existing core 10-year-old expression.
The whisky is fully matured in a combination of first-fill and refill American and European oak ex-oloroso Sherry casks, and is bottled at 43%.
Sandy McIntyre, Tamdhu distillery manager, said: ‘The American and European oak soaks up nearly 35 litres of oloroso Sherry during the seasoning process in Jerez, which gives our new Tamdhu 12-year-old its distinctive flavour and striking natural colour.’
The whisky is said to carry notes of ‘cinnamon, dried fruit, banana’ and ‘classic Sherry oak depth’.
The outer packaging also details the importance of Sherry in Tamdhu’s history, as the distillery currently matures its core range exclusively in ex-Sherry casks.
Tamdhu has begun rolling out the 12-year-old worldwide, priced from £45, although the expression won’t see a UK release until early 2019.
The distillery’s latest core range update comes after Tamdhu celebrated its 120th birthday last year.
Despite the landmark anniversary, the distillery was in dire straits just a few years ago: Edrington mothballed Tamdhu in 2010, but Ian MacLeod purchased it two years later, refurbishing and reopening the distillery with new warehouses, washbacks and a visitor centre.
