A bit about
Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition is a Speyside single malt matured first in American Oak barrels and then finished, as the name indicates, in French Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Casks.
It has 40% ABV and it is part of the Tamnavulin Core Collection.
Meaning 'mill on the hill' in Gaelic, the Tamnavulin distillery can be found in the village called Tomnavoulin, on the banks of the River Livet, where it has been producing rich single malts since 1966.
Time to try it!
Tastewise - ripe bananas, pear, perhaps a bit of gingerbread is what I found. Straight after opening the bottle it seemed more dry than sweet on the nose, a bit of cinnamon, oak spice and something that reminds me of the tannins in wine for obvious reasons. The finish is medium with some nuttiness and a tiny bit of oakiness.
If you've just uncorked the bottle and find it a bit heavier or harsher than expected, I suggest having your dram with a drop of water or an ice cube. After leaving it to breathe for a while, it does get better, or smoother if you wish, and becomes much easier to enjoy.
Depending on the website/physical store chosen for your purchase, the price for this enjoyable whisky is somewhere around £30. I would consider this to go better in the colder months of the year, but I'm not here to stop you if you want to enjoy a dram of this in the middle of July.
After trying the Red Wine Cask Edition I am definitely curious to try the Tempranillo Cask as well as the Sherry Cask Edition. The Vintage Collection looks highly tempting also, but unfortunately for me, it is exclusive to Taiwan.
If you've tried the Tamnavulin Single Malt Red Wine Cask Edition please let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
As always, please drink responsibly.
I hope life is treating you well.
Take care