Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram

Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram


Tamdhu's Spirit of Speyside festival whisky was created in honour of the Dalbeallie Railway station. The Strathspey railroad played an important role in the development of the distilleries in the Speyside region. The Knockando Station, originally called Dalbeallie, has been restored as part of the Tamdhu Distillery Visitor Centre.

The festival whisky matured exclusively in oloroso sherry casks. Tamdhu plans to release this limited edition on an annual basis during the Spirit of Speyside festival. 1.000 bottles are made available during the 2018 festival for around £90. The whisky comes in the trademark Tamdhu bottle and the packaging reflects the dark natural colour of the Tamdhu single malt.

Identity Card Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram

Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram

  • Tamdhu Distillery, Knockando (Speyside)
  • NAS single malt
  • Exclusively matured in oloroso sherry casks from European oak
  • Un-chillfiltered and natural colour
  • 1.000 bottles
  • Alcohol: 62.1% ABV
  • Price: £90 - Distillery only (although it seems to be available through the webshop)

Colour: Dark gold with a copper hue. The oloroso casks left their mark on the liquid.

Nose: Sherry bomb alert! Cinnamon, blueberries, wine gums. Cough drops and sugar syrup. (In Belgium we would call them Wycam's). Raisins steeped in rum and calvados. A fair dose of tobacco and Coke. Wood, plums and leather mingle with cherries and red apple.
With water, there are two main routes. One is a more fruity road. Think pomegranate, fresh fig jam. The other route is a bit more funky with aromas of old, dusty books mixed and pickled daikon. But it works like a charm.

Taste: The start is rather spicy with notes of clove and pink peppercorns. Some juicy wood and red fruit. The second act is played by raisins and dates. Cinnamon, jam and gingerbread. Everything you'll ever want from a good sherry cask.
With water, the sweetness is totally unleashed. Pomegranate juice and sweet malt with banana. A nice silky texture.

Finish: A dry malty finale with leather and spices yet it evolves towards some silky sweet-sour notes.


Tamdhu's Spirit of Speyside festival whisky bears every signature mark. A high octane sherry bomb. You will need to give it some time and a drop of water but it's a classic meditation dram. Spend the whole night with one or two glasses. Nose it, put it away, nose it again, take a sip, add a drop of water and repeat the whole procedure.


Sample Disclosure: A sample of the Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram was sent out by Tamdhu for a Tweet Tasting with The Whisky Wire.

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