Tamdhu

Tamdhu is a whisky distillery in the famous Speyside region of Scotland. It was established in the village of Knockando, in 1897. The distillery is famous for its sherry-matured single malt. 

Since 2011, Tamdhu has been operated by Ian Macleod Distillers.

Tamdhu produces a single malt with notes of honeycomb and apples. Ex-sherry casks give the malt a dried fruits character.

Tamdhu was one of the most advanced distilleries of its time. Architect, Charles Doig, designed the kilns to minimise heat loss.

During a 1950s rebuild, the malting floors were replaced with Saladin boxes. This new system allowed Tamdhu to malt barley for several other distilleries.

The distillery has six pot stills, each with a broad-necked design that helps to produce a medium-bodied spirit. Spirits with body tend to pair well with casks that previously held fortified wine, like sherry.

There are several warehouses on-site, ranging from traditional dunnage to modern racked and palletised warehouses.

Tamdhu's whisky is usually aged in an ex-sherry cask. However, some whisky intended for blended Scotch is matured in ex-bourbon barrels. Tamdhu has contributed to blends like Famous Grouse, J&B and Cutty Sark.

In 1896, a group of blenders and investors got together to build a distillery. They chose a site next to the Knockando Burn where illicit whisky had been produced for generations previously.

The men chose their location well, placing the distillery within reach of the Strathspey Railway. The line brought cheap fuel and carried their spirit to the blending houses of the south. Tamdhu flourished as a result. Two years after opening, it was snapped up by Highland Distillers.

The early 20^th century was fraught with difficulties for the whisky industry. Tamdhu survived for a while but the onset of the Great Depression proved too much. Production ceased in 1927 and the distillery was abandoned.

Production eventually resumed in 1947. Two years later, the distillery was modernised and expanded. The pot stills were increased from two to four with a third pair added later.

In 1976, the owners released an 8-year-old single malt but by the 1980s, the industry was in decline again. Highland Distillers became Edrington in 1999 and within a decade, Tamdhu had been mothballed.

The distillery was silent for two years until being bought, in 2011, by Ian Macleod Distillers. The new owners released their first Tamdhu single malt in 2013. The new 10-year-old whisky came in an attractive Victorian-inspired bottle.

The 10-year-old has since been replaced by a 12 y.o. and the core range has expanded to include the non-chill filtered Batch Strength and the limited 15-year-old expressions.

Tamdhu isn’t open to the public but tours often run throughout the annual Spirit of Speyside festival. Despite the relatively small range available, it remains one of the finest examples of sherry matured Speyside whisky.