Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition Review
I don’t know about you, but for me, sherried whisky is a go-to in the colder months of the year. As the temperatures outside drop, naturally, I tend to go for deeper, richer flavours in my whisky.
There’s just something about sherried whisky that reminds me of the festive season. Winter evenings at home, enjoying some excellent company and a sweet sherry dram.
Today, I will share with you a young Speyside whisky, which I actually got as a Birthday present last February. As you can see from the picture above, this Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition has been thoroughly enjoyed over the past few months. So, I better give it some time and attention and take down some tasting notes before it’s all gone!
Did this whisky leave an impression on me and was it a good one? Should you give it a try? I’ll tell you in a minute. But first, let’s mention a bit more about the Tamnavulin Distillery.
Tamnavulin Distillery is located in the heart of Speyside, just 5 kilometres away from The Glenlivet. Yet, unlike its close neighbour, Tamnavulin is not one of those household Scotch names you are likely to hear. With Tamnavulin you get no fancy pedigree, no history that goes centuries back. It’s a relatively new distillery still finding its feet in the whisky industry.
Originally, Tamnavulin was founded in 1966 in the Speyside village of Tomnavoulin, near the river Livet. The distillery was intended as a producer of whisky that would be used in blended Scotch brands such as Whyte & Mackay, Crawfords, and Mackinlay’s.
In 1993, the distillery was bought out by Whyte & Mackay, however, shortly after, in 1995, it was closed down. At the beginning of the new century, Indian spirits conglomerate United Spirits bought Tamnavulin and production was re-started in 2007.
Since then, the company has been experimenting with different cask finishes. Today, Tamnavulin’s core range offers a number of no-age-statement whiskies finished in a variety of casks: from the standard bourbon and sherry to more exotic expressions such as Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
There are some age-statement bottlings out there, but these are mostly Tamnavulin limited editions and you’d be hard-pressed to find those in your local liquor store.
The Sherry Cask Edition, however, is readily available in most markets. Where I am (in Bulgaria), I see it all over the place. I can even occasionally find it in my local supermarket.
Judging by the impressive distribution of this Tamnavulin and the stats on this particular bottling (being 40% ABV, caramel-coloured and chill-filtered), you can immediately tell it’s very much intended as a mass-market product.
But does it have any surprises in store for us? Is it actually any good? Let’s find out.
Tasting Notes:
Before giving the tasting notes on this one, I have to emphasise that this bottle has been open for about 9 months. On top of that, has stayed at a dangerously low level for at least a couple of those months. Over time, whisky oxidises and changes. Whiskies like this at lower ABV tend to fall apart quicker, so the bottle is probably not at its absolute best.
Nonetheless, I conducted some scientific experiments, and here are the results:
Nose:
Very sweet and fruity. You are welcomed by a vanilla crème brûlée note. This is immediately followed by a rich sweetness reminiscent of raisins, combined with baked pears. A Christmas pudding note develops, with burnt sugar and milk chocolate in the background.
With water: more sweetness develops. I picked up something that reminded me of tiramisu cream. A citrus note appears (orange peel/tangerines). Slight acidity develops as the wine influence becomes a bit stronger. It reminds me of a sharper, younger red wine.
Taste:
A very soft arrival on the palate. I detected vanilla, raisins, dark chocolate, toffee apple, and orange peel. And I get a little bit of spiciness on the back of the palate: clove, and a bit of wood tannins.
When adding water, the citrus note becomes more prominent, and there is a distinct association with Terry’s chocolate orange.
Finish:
Oily and sweet, but short. Hints of burnt sugar, raisins and wood tannins remain with you after your last sip.
Conclusion and Mark:
Overall, the Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition is really enjoyable. This whisky is sweet, warm and inviting.
Having said that, I wish the distillate spent more time in the sherry casks. The producers advertise the bottle as being aged in 3 different sherry casks, but for me, it’s not had enough time in them. I like sherried whisky, and there is just not enough sherry here for me.
Of course, the low ABV and the fact the bottle has been opened for 10 months doesn’t help either.
I like the taste of this, but the finish leaves more to be desired. I would like to see this at a higher ABV at some point.
Mark: 76/100
Final thoughts:
One of the reasons that the bottle is almost empty is that I have shared this Tamnavulin with a number of friends in recent months. This was my attempt to get them interested in the sherry side of whisky. And I have to say that Tamnavulin has done well in that respect. This isn’t a whisky that would set the world on fire, but it won’t alienate anybody new to sherried Scotch.
The Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition is a nice, easy introduction to sherry in whisky. But if you happen to like it, you would quickly want to move something more substantial.
Would I buy it at the bar? Probably not. There are other widely available sherry single malts that would cost a fraction more at a bar but would feel more well-rounded.
Would I buy a bottle of this again? I probably would. It’s a crowd-pleaser, widely available, and at 20–25 euros a bottle, it represents some compelling value.
