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Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition Review

Can an affordable, no-age-statement Scotch really deliver complexity and depth? Tamnavulin's Sherry Cask Edition surprised us - here's why it exceeded expectations.

OVERALL RATING

7
$42
  • Genevieve is a South African whisky enthusiast with a PhD in Philosophy and founder of Kenton on Whisky, a coastal tasting venture.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Tamnavulin distillery was originally set up in 1966. It is situated in the tiny village of Tomnavoulin, in the Speyside region of Scotland.

Tamnavulin initially produced malt whisky for blenders such as Whyte & Mackay, Crawfords, and Mackinlay’s, but in 1995 the distillery was mothballed due to an oversupply of whisky at the time and declining demand – a fate shared by many distilleries during the 1980s and 1990s.

Yet with renewed global interest in whisky (and Scotch in particular), they reopened again in 2007, and they now produce a range of their very own single malt whiskies. The name “Tamnavulin” translates to “mill on the hill” in Gaelic, and is a reference to a historic old mill located on the site of the distillery.

One of the more unusual things about Tamnavulin that I’ve noticed is their lack of age statement releases. I’ve heard that you might be able to find the odd limited-edition release with an age statement, but I’ve never seen one myself, and there don’t seem to be any listed on the distillery’s website. I did stumble upon the existence of a few vintage releases which sound very interesting, but these appear to only be available in Taiwan.

Instead of focusing on age, Tamnavulin seems to be deliberately releasing no-age-statement (NAS) whiskies that instead focus on a range of different cask finishes (a great number of these being wine-cask finishes).

Tamnavulin’s two most prominent releases include the Double Cask (which is matured in American oak and finished in sherry casks) and the Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition (which is matured in American oak and finished in three different types of sherry casks – exactly what these three types of sherry cask are is not specified).

My focus here is on Tamnavulin’s Sherry Cask Edition. Officially bottled at 40% ABV, but here in South Africa you’ll find it bottled at 43% ABV (a quirk resulting from local whisky regulations).
Appearance:
Burnt orange
Nose:
Fresh red apples, ripe banana, and a touch of honeydew melon. Some vanilla and gentle spice. A sharp and tangy sweet note, reminiscent of lemon meringue, makes an appearance. Brown sugar. Settles into aromas of rich dates and sweet raisins, with a dry and nutty note in the background.

There is a much brighter sweet note detectable in the empty glass which reminds me of a strawberry flavoured candy.
Palate:
Initially very sweet, warm and spicy – although the sweetness loses some of its intensity over time. Fairly full-bodied in texture. Malva pudding. A hint of almonds makes an appearance, followed by some chocolate-coated cherries.
Finish:
Medium length finish with some lingering fruit notes and gentle spices.
Comments:
For a very affordable NAS whisky, this whisky exceeded my expectations.

Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition delivers a good mix of sweet, spicy, and fruity notes. If you enjoy whisky on the sweeter end of the spectrum, this could be a good choice. I imagine it would also serve as a great introduction to sherried whisky for anyone unfamiliar with the category.

Even for more experienced whisky drinkers, it’s complex enough to hold one’s attention for a little while, and I’d certainly be happy to buy this bottle again.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod

Genevieve is a whisky enthusiast from South Africa with a PhD in Philosophy, so she enjoys both drinking and thinking about whisky. She loves tasting new whiskies whenever she gets the chance - so much so that a few years ago she set up a small whisky tasting business, "Kenton on Whisky", in the tiny coastal town where she lives (this also serves as an excellent excuse to grow her selection of whiskies beyond reasonable limits).

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