A Whisky That Supports Wild Atlantic Salmon – Tamdhu 12 Year Old, Exclusive to Waitrose

The iconic sherry matured Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, Tamdhu, is making a splash at Waitrose by launching a charity bottle in support of the Atlantic Salmon Trust – a conservation charity working to secure a future for wild Atlantic salmon and their environment. A special expression of this much-prized whisky, Tamdhu 12YO, is leaping into Waitrose and is available in selected stores and on Waitrose.com and www.Waitrosecellar.com

For every bottle sold of this special Speyside single malt whisky, a donation will go to the charity. Each purchase will help this important environmental cause – so raise a glass to help save wild salmon and give their environment a sustainable future.

The Tamdhu 12YO expression created in support of the Atlantic Salmon Trust is bottled at 41.3% ABV and costs £50 for a 70cl bottle. It is beautifully packaged in a gift box.

Tamdhu from Speyside is a multi-award-winning collection of ultra-premium whiskies. Tamdhu fully matures all its single malt whisky in Oloroso Sherry casks. Tamdhu is a historic distillery, having operated for over 125 years. The Tamdhu 12YO bottled and sold for The Atlantic Salmon Trust is exclusive to Waitrose.

The River Spey is world famous for both its whiskies and wild salmon population, and the river remains a stronghold for the species. However, it is now on the endangered list in Great Britain. Across the wider North Atlantic, the species has declined by around 70% in the last 30 years.

The Atlantic Salmon Trust and Tamdhu are aligned behind the message in the bottle – the need to ensure the health of our rivers and seas to give wild Atlantic salmon and wider biodiversity a thriving future.

Sandy McIntyre, Distillery Manager for Tamdhu Whisky, said: “We are so grateful to Waitrose for working with Tamdhu to support this important cause. We’re excited to bring both our whisky and the Atlantic Salmon Trust’s valuable work to a wider audience of Waitrose whisky lovers. With Whisky Day coming up on 17 May and Father’s Day just around the corner too (15 June) this is the perfect time to leap into the whisky aisle at Waitrose and help a good cause at the same time as enjoying a great whisky”.

Sustainability is at the heart of Tamdhu’s ethos. The whisky is distilled and bottled near the banks of the River Spey and relies on the Tamdhu spring water which flows into this impressively clean waterway for its whisky creation. Both whisky and salmon need cold, clean water. It’s taken a dozen years to mature this Waitrose exclusive and the family firm which owns the Tamdhu label – Ian Macleod Distillers – is delighted to be supporting the charity.

Mark Bilsby, CEO of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, commented: “Wild Atlantic salmon are an amazing species telling us about the health of our rivers, coasts and seas, yet they face challenges that are causing them to become endangered and threatened with extinction. However there is hope, as with the amazing support coming from Ian Macleod Distillers and the great team at Tamdhu we can focus our efforts to better understand salmon and crucially help restore rivers to give salmon the best chance at thriving once again.  By working together we can all collectively give wild Atlantic salmon the future they deserve.

The donations from bottle sales will support the important core operations of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, enabling the charity to design, develop, and deliver on-the-ground restoration projects with partners across the country. This work includes activities such as removing manmade barriers to fish migration, tree planting to restore native riverside woodlands, as well as peatland and wetland restoration. In addition, the Trust carries out cutting-edge research work on land, in rivers and at sea to better understand the causes of wild salmon decline.”

Tasting notes for TAMDHU 12YO Atlantic Salmon Trust edition:

Nose Fresh churros and vanilla oak – then spearmint leaf rubbed between fingertips.

Palate Velvet waves of just-ripened banana and shortbread, then the long embrace of sherried oak.

Finish Nutmeg giving way to dried figs and still-warm Scottish tablet – with the softest curl of peat smoke.