Review #10: Deer, Bear & Moose 1999 Tamdhu

The wild trio wanders the lands, searching for rare, mysterious & elusive barrels. Their mission is to make great, inaccessible Whisky available to you.

Each Deer, Bear & Moose expression is unique, unrepeatable, and our source of pride. The previous releases were sold out in a heartbeat, but the next one is just around the corner.

Tamdhu distillery is a single malt Scotch Speyside whisky distillery, located in the village of Knockando in Banffshire, Scotland. Tamdhu comes from Gaelic for "little dark hill".

When I started getting into whiskey, a friend of mine told me to give Flaviar a try. They provide these whiskey samples that will help you explore and discover what types of whiskeys you like. And honestly, I really enjoyed it. Being new to whiskey, I wasn't really excited to spend money on a bottle with the risk of not enjoying it. So Flaviar gave me a way to explore the whiskey world one sample at a time.

As well as selling samples and full bottles, they also have their own special releases under the Deer, Bear & Moose branding. I was able to snag two different bottles, this 1999 Tamdhu and their Orkney Islands Whisky 2002.

On opening it this evening, the cork unfortunately broke in half on me, just enough for a piece to get stuck. I was able to get it out without dropping any pieces into the whiskey. But now it's closed up with half a cork, so hoping it doesn't affect the bottle too much. I've had both for a few years now and they aren't usually ones I reach for. So tonight is a good reason to get into this one.

Speyside whiskies are a category of Scotch whisky that originates from the Speyside region of Scotland. They are typically characterized by a smooth, rich, and fruity flavor profile, with notes of apple, pear, honey, and malt sweetness. Speyside is home to a high concentration of distilleries, contributing to the region's reputation as a major producer of quality whiskies.

Nose: I struggled to really separate out the primary notes, but immediately found a mossy, wet forest or a waterlogged oak plank underneath it all. A bit of bitter chocolate, bit of chalky notes too.

Palate: Spicy on the palate and mouth feel, very warming. The bitter chocolate and mossy notes come through as well. There is some sweetness that comes through near the end, and is a bit more pronounced after adding a bit of water to bring down the high ABV. Subtle citrus notes are present too, but the mossy flavors are a bit overwhelming.

This is a really enjoyable whiskey, especially after adding a bit of water to help lower the bite of the high alcohol content. It stays for a while in your mouth and slowly dies down. Through that you continue to taste all it has to offer. Starting off a bit bitter and mossy, ending with some sweeter citrus notes.

These bottles are hard to find due to their limited release, and I think some of come at a premium now. At the time I was able to pick one up for around $75, and at that price I would recommend it. Unfortunately at some of the prices I've seen online, I would suggest looking at other whiskeys.

Just wanted to add a footnote here related to upcoming reviews. Over the past week and a bit, I've been consistent in posting a review every day as I make my way through my collection. Luckily to get a good sense of a whiskey, you don't need to pour a full dram. Otherwise my liver won't make it. But I have considered changing the review frequency to 2 or 3 times a week, but lengthen the review itself.

Part of this is that I really want to research a distillery, the region and write about my findings. The reviews have mostly been focused on the whiskey itself and my tasting notes. But I would love to bring more valuable content along with these reviews and really share whatever information I find on the whiskey I'm drinking.

I have a lot of whiskey to get through still and will easily keep me busy for the next few months. Hopefully you will find the reviews a bit more valuable as I continue to post and improve them.