The Speyside Distillery at Tromie Mills, near Kingussie, has one of the more unusual histories in the region. Conceived by the late George Christie in the 1950s and built largely by hand over the course of three decades, it did not produce its first spirit until 1990 — extraordinarily late for a Speyside operation — and for years its make was destined almost entirely for blending. Only relatively recently, under Harvey's of Edinburgh ownership, has the Spey single malt range been developed in earnest.
Tenné takes its name from the heraldic colour tenné, a deep tawny-orange used in old coats of arms, and the choice is a literal one: the whisky is finished in Tawny Port pipes from Portugal, and the cask influence shows clearly in both the colour and the flavour of the spirit. It is bottled at 46%, a strength that suits the richer, fruitier profile that the port wood imparts.
Port finishing is a fashionable trick, and a clumsy one in the wrong hands — too long in the cask and the spirit becomes a sticky pastiche of itself. Tenné avoids that trap. The finish has been judged carefully enough that the underlying Speyside character — soft, slightly floral, malty — is still recognisable, with the port adding red-fruit and chocolate notes rather than swamping them.
It is an enjoyable, well-priced expression from a distillery that is still quietly building its reputation, and a useful introduction to port-finished Speysides for drinkers who find the heavier sherry bombs too much.
