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Tamnavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Tamnavulin Distillery
Ballindaloch Banffshire
AB37 9JA Scotland
Tel: +44 (0)1807 590 285
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The Tamnavulin Distillery was established in 1966 by Tamnavulin-Glenlivet Distillery Co Ltd. which was part of Invergordon Distillers Ltd. The distillery was created in response to the demand by blenders for malt whisky. The name Tamnavulin means "mill on the hill" in Gaelic and it is the only distillery actually situated next to the River Livet. At one time, Tamnavulin was partially utilized for wool carding. Shepherds within the area collected from the flocks which were scattered throughout the hills.

Whyte & Mackay purchased Invergordon Distillers in 1993 for £382m. Included with the purchase came several other distilleries such as the Invergordon grain distillery on the Cromarty Firth in the Highlands, Bruichladdich, Jura and Tullibardine. Unfortunately, a couple of years later in 1995 the Tamnavulin Distillery was mothballed.


River Livet

The whisky produced at Tamnavulin contributed to Whyte & Mackay, Mackinlay and Crawfords blends.

Tamnavulin's principal expressions include a 12 and a 22 year single malt Scotch. Part of whisky author Gordon Brown's description of Tamnavulin includes "...it shows considerable mellowness and contented balance. Faint oakiness and fresh-fruit, malty cleanness."

 

TAMNAVULIN 1989 CONNOSSEURS CHOICE
SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Tamnavulin 1989 Connoisseurs Choice Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Colour: Pale straw.

Without Water
Nose: Floral notes with malty and cereal aromas. Toasted oats. Spicy with citrus fruits also present.

Palate: Soft with spicy elements - cumin. Charred oak flavours with a rounding sweetness.

With Water
Nose: Hints of green apples with sweet, malty aromas. Some floral and cedar wood elements.

Palate: Cedar wood and liquorice sticks. Some caramelised
sugars with plain chocolate flavours developing late.

Body: Soft and delicate.

Finish: Slightly sweet with a touch of chocolate.

Tasting Notes by Gordon & MacPhail

TAMNAVULIN
12 YEAR OLD
SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Tamnavulin 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky

Nose: Distinctively aromatic. An oily perfume. Oil of peppermint? Very floral.

Palate: Clean, light, minty, very herbal.

Finish: Clean, dry, flowery. Vermouth-like. Gently appetising.

Comment: Very much as I remember it. Fresh, attractive.

Tasting Notes by Michael Jackson

 

TamnavulinWhisky Distillery
Tamnavulin Distillery

Tamnavulin Distillery dates back to 1966 and the three pairs of stills it started with remained until the closing. It has eight stainless steel washbacks and a Saladin box was used in production. This modern day, efficient distillery was capable of producing one million gallons of spirit a year.

Although the distillery itself was modern, the visitor centre wasn't as it was located in the old wool mill.

The distillery's stillhouse used a modern technique of heating the incoming wash with the most recent distilled batch of spirit. Tamnavulin's water source for production came from the springs at Easterton which was stored in an underground reservoir. An underground pipe made it possible to pump the water to the distillery. Water from the River Livet was used only for the purpose of cooling.

The Tamnavulin distillery was mothballed by Whyte & Mackay’s previous owners, but after being taken over by Dr Mallya in early 2007, the company invested significant sums to get it re-open in again to meet the massive international demand for whisky. It has only been open a year and half, and bearing in mind it takes a minimum of three years to make a Scotch, stocks are limited so the brand is only currently available in very limited quantities in the UK . A spokesperson for the company said: “Once we are in a position to bottle the whisky then we will be looking at other markets such as travel retail, and the US . It's just a bit premature at the moment, but for a small, lesser known brand it's amazing how many people have been following its progress since we re-opened the distillery.”