If there’s comfort food, Tamnavulin is comfort whisky. It is a peculiar bottle often overlooked for the more popular brands on the top shelf grocery store. I for one was mildly curious when I saw one on the shelf of the Landers' liquor section in 2019. At that time I had my eyes open for a whisky that was below the P2,000 price point, the most competitive space for whisky as that’s where your Johnnie Walker, Monkey Shoulder, and Chivas Regal are fighting for attention. It was refreshing to see something new on the shelf.
A quick Google search (always Google your whisky before buying!) put the Double Cask at 4 and 4.5 stars on Whiskey Exchange and Master of Malt. Promising! The P1,700 whisky was particularly attractive because it was a single malt finished in sherry casks. I’ve written about my love for sherry finishes extensively in the past because really, what’s there not to love? The long deep finish that only this finish brings out is appealing to me, especially during the cooler weather. The fact that it is a by-the-book Speyside expression shows how approachable it is even for first time whisky drinkers. But more importantly, if you’re looking for one of the sweeter and creamier whiskies, this is a bottle worth having on your home shelf.
The Double Cask is a must-have. Recently though, Whyte & MacKay also released the Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition. The main difference is that it is finished in three separate sherry casks, adding that intense and lingering Christmas flavors: gingerbread, molasses, cinnamon, and still for that affordable price range below P2,000. It’s a steal, really Tamnavulin’s sherry cask expressions are something to write home about given the rise of these editions with other brands in the past three years. I suggest both bottles because they have distinct profiles, yet their commonality lies in their being affordable.
The suggested retail price (SRP) for the Tamnavulin Sherry Edition is P1,859.75 while SRP for the Tamnavulin Double Cask is P1,700.
Landers Sherry Cask is exclusively available in Landers Superstore. The Tamnavulin Distillery Experience pack (with Tamnavulin Double Cask, Tamnavulin Sherry Cask, and whisky pairing snacks) is sold for P3,559.75. Each pack comes with an invite to the virtual distillery tour on December 10, 2020 at 8:00 P.M.