Tamnavulin, 25 Year Old Diamond Anniversary
Tamnavulin marks its 60th anniversary with this cask strength release. Matured for 20 years in ex-bourbon American oak before five years in a Moscatel sweet wine European oak cask, this is a 25-year-old Speyside single malt with a peculiar history. The bottle originates as a newmake spirit from when the original Tamnavulin stills were fired in 2000, between the distillery's 1995 closure and 2007 reopening, and marks the last liquid from these original stills. It's limited to 295 bottles and bottled at 51.8% ABV.
Nose
Orange, clove, potpourri
Palate
Jaffa Cakes, clove, incense
Finish
Dark chocolate, toasted walnut
This whisky is alive on the nose: fragrant oranges and cloves sing loudest. It's intensely floral, like potpourri, reminiscent of a Japanese whisky like Yamazaki. There's a delicacy to it, but also an obvious strength. That comes into full force on the palate: more oranges, more cloves, herbs, and spices. That's mixed in with the bitterness of dark chocolate. Together with a creamy texture, UK readers will be reminded of Jaffa Cakes. Clove spice deepens to incense, with sweetness and bitterness acting hand in hand; salted caramel and sultanas enter the fray. The long finish sees oranges finally take their leave, to bask in a bitterness of dark chocolate, toasted walnut, and varnished wood.
