Speyside distillery Tamdhu has unveiled its latest limited-edition bottling, Year of the Horse, to celebrate the Chinese New Year in 2026. The all-sherry-matured single malt is limited to just 300 bottles in the UK and was created to honor the zodiac animal symbolizing strength and perseverance.
Bottled at a batch strength of 53.8% ABV, the whisky will carry a recommended retail price of £150 (approx. US$205) per 70cl bottle.
The release sees Tamdhu join a growing number of Scotch whisky producers creating exclusive bottlings to mark the Lunar New Year, a key sales and gifting occasion in Asian markets. The Year of the Horse will be celebrated in 2026, with the festival running from February 17 to March 3 of that year.
For the expression’s packaging, the brand commissioned Taiwanese visual artist Page Tsou. The illustration features a jockey and horse trotting past the historic Victorian-era Dalbeallie railway station, which is located at the Tamdhu distillery.
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Iain Weir, brand director of Tamdhu Whisky, said: “This specially selected batch-strength bottling captures Tamdhu just as our founders intended when they established the brand on the banks of the River Spey in 1897.”
He continued: “The deep natural color is a gift of sherry casks and time alone, a perfect toast to determination.”
Weir added: “In the Year of The Horse, we honour your ambition by raising a glass to the image of the renowned eight steeds and bless your path to success in the coming year. We are guided by our unwavering pursuit of perfection, maturing every drop of Tamdhu that we release only in the finest sherry-seasoned oloroso casks from Jerez in Spain.”
According to the official notes from the brand, the whisky has a nose of warming spices, mature oak, dried fruits, and honey.
The palate delivers “profoundly rich oak, with ginger biscuits and caramelized pear.”
It concludes with a long finish of “full-bodied malt, sweet spices and orange zest.”
