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Tamdhu Batch Strength / Batch No 2

Add Two Drops of Water

9 1090

@VictorReview by @Victor

31st Jul 2018

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  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Tamdhu Batch # 002 has received a lot of favourable attention since its release. I thank @Maddie for the reviewed samples. The reviewed bottle has been open for 6 weeks at the time of the review notes and was 95% full

Two searches both revealed to me in Tamdhu's own postings that "Batch Strength" means no more nor less than "bottling strength". In other words there is no reason whatsoever to print those words on the bottle labels. Without Tamdhu saying so openly I conclude that Tamdhu coined this nebulous and meaningless term to mean, roughly, "We tried the whisky and decided that this is the strength that we liked best, so we are bottling the BATCH at this STRENGTH. We are inventing the term Batch Strength to indicate that while we are diluting this from its full Cask Strength, that we have chosen a unique non-standardised, non-whole-integer and relatively high ABV at which to bottle the whisky." They didn't say that, but that's what I think that they mean. I do hope that this addition to the already substantial canon of confusing and misleading Scottish Whisky verbiage does not develop a following. When every single whisky in existence is bottled at Batch Strength, then the term has no meaning whatsoever...other than to be proudly obfuscatory, and to indulge in 'repetitious redundancy' . Tamdhu Batch # 002 was matured exclusively in sherry casks and carries no age statement

Nose: sherry mostly, with a hint of barley; on the sweet side of the scale. This sherry seems both sharp and a little edged at the same time. Very nice. Water added raises the pitch, increases the sweetness, and adds to the beauty. Score: 21.5/25 neat; 23/25 with water

Taste: excellent translation to the mouth with greater intensity of the flavour. The sherry flavours are delicious in an aggressive rather than lush sort of way. This is a beautiful delivery. As with the nose, this is excellent with water added. Score: 23.5/25 neat and with water

Finish: long finish, which moves a little toward bitter grape skins. Water added much improves the finish. Score: 21/25 neat; 23/25 with water added

Balance: very good in the nose; excellent on the palate; fair to very good (with water added) on the finish. Score: 22/25 neat; 23/25 with water added

Total Sequential Score: 88 points neat; 92.5 points with water added

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Strength: moderate on the nose and finish; very strong on the delivery. Score: 21.5/25

Quality: very good wine flavours; good grain flavours; invisible wood flavours. Score: 21/25 neat; 23/25 with water added

Variety: good harmony throughout. Score: 21/25

Harmony: very good harmony in the nose; excellent harmony on the palate; adequate harmony on the finish. Score: 21.5/25 neat; 23/25 with water added

Total Non-Sequential Score: 85 points neat; 88.5 points with water added

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Comment: Tamdhu Batch # 002 is a solid choice in sherried malt. I would describe it as slightly lighter in style than Aberlour A'bunadh, Glendronach Cask Strength, Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured, or Glenfarclas 105. A near comparison in style would be The Balvenie's 17 yo Doublewood. Tamdhu Batch # 002 is adequately good neat, but rises to highly desirable with a couple of drops of water added

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10 comments

@MadSingleMalt
MadSingleMalt commented

Until and unless Tamdhu ever explains what they meant that term to mean, this review and its speculative paragraph 2 ought to be the top Google search result for folks wondering about it.

5 years ago 3Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

Thanks for the detailed review. I’m not sure I’d ever buy this as it’s $25 more than A’Bunadh and $35 more then Glenfarclas 105 (I think) in Ontario. Unless it blows those two away, I think I’ll pass. Then again, I’m not really that into Sherry bombs. I think I may have bought the aforementioned whiskies under the influence of my fellow Connosrs. FOMO and all that. Has anyone written to Tamdhu to ask for clarification regarding “Batch Strength”? Their website blurb would lead us to believe it’s a Cask Strength offering, but it seems purposely fuzzy. It includes the somewhat vague statement We think it’s the closest you’ll get to sampling a dram direct from the cask. Hmmm

5 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@OdysseusUnbound, oh I have no intention of going to the trouble of finding those references again, but BOTH of the postings I have read from Tamdhu explicitly state that Tamdhu Batch # 002 is NOT bottled at Cask Strength. As for the rest of the verbiage in those posts, they just dance around with many meaningless words.

I would buy A'bunadh over Tamdhu Batch # 002 even at the same price. I like the thicker style.

It is good to see that Tamdhu Batch # 002 isn't messed up by sulphur, though.

5 years ago 2Who liked this?

@Frost
Frost commented

@Victor thank you for reviewing this one and especially for your statement in paragraph too. The term is equally as meaningless as "small batch" (Bowmore, anyone?).

Still, your review makes it clear that this whisky is one that must be tried.

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt
MadSingleMalt commented

I still regret passing on one of these at a Binny's clearance price of ... what was it? ... $35 maybe, a couple years ago.

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Hewie
Hewie commented

@OdysseusUnbound that's funny. Here in NZ the Tamdhu BS is $95 and A'bunadh is $115

5 years ago 0

Astroke commented

This has become a favorite for me, I completely agree with your scoring and notes. I am always scouting to find it on clearance here as it is overpriced at the LCBO.

As for A'Bunadh, the current price in Canada ($95-$99 cad) outside of Alberta ($120) is a ticking time bomb and like the UK will see a big increase very soon.

5 years ago 3Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt
MadSingleMalt commented

@Astroke, that's how it looks to me, too. A'bunadh fans should be stocking up now.

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

@MadSingleMalt
MadSingleMalt commented

@Hewie, something tells me the Tamdhu folks are hoping the shorthand name "BS" for this product is not going to catch on.

5 years ago 3Who liked this?

@Hewie
Hewie commented

@MadSingleMalt Ha ha yes I thought that as I typed it, but then I rather liked it, so it stayed

5 years ago 1Who liked this?

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