Tamnavulin Distillery 2009/2024 Coopers Choice 15 Years Old Malaga Cask Speyside Single Malt Whisky 50%

Fifteen years on American oak and a final chapter on a single Malaga wine cask. Cooper's Choice has captured Tamnavulin in a rare, sun-warmed expression sweetened by Andalusia's dessert wine.

Expert description

Tamnavulin Distillery 2009/2024 Cooper's Choice 15 Year Old Malaga Cask is a Single Speyside Scotch Whisky, matured in American oak casks with a finishing period in a Malaga wine cask and bottled at 50%.

Cooper's Choice is one of Scotland's most respected independent bottling series, created by The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, founded in 1992 by Brian Crook after many years as export director for one of Scotland's most renowned distilleries. The series is known for seeking out rare, characterful single cask releases from across the country.

This expression was distilled at Tamnavulin in 2009 and bottled in 2024, having first matured in American oak casks before finishing in a single Malaga wine cask, Cask No. 0772. Malaga is a sweet, sun-ripened Spanish dessert wine, and the cask lends the whisky a distinctive winey sweetness and depth not found in the distillery's standard core range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dried fig meet caramelised sugar and a light touch of dark chocolate.

Palate

Sweet and full-bodied with notes of blackcurrant, brown sugar and a spiced hint of nutmeg.

Finish

Medium in length, winey and lightly tart, closing on dried apricot and warm oak.

Specifications

Name: Tamnavulin Distillery Cooper's Choice 15 Year Old Malaga Cask
Distillery: Tamnavulin
Bottler: Cooper's Choice (The Vintage Malt Whisky Company)
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in Malaga wine cask, Cask No. 0772
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 300
EAN nr.: 5024720863184

Flavour profile

Winey · Sweet · Fruity · Spiced · Rich

Investment potential

Medium. A single Malaga wine cask with only 300 bottles and an unusual finish makes this one of the more sought-after Tamnavulin bottlings from Cooper's Choice.

Did you know?

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company was founded in 1992 by Brian Crook, who had spent many years as export director for one of Scotland's most renowned distilleries before turning to independent bottling.

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Frequently asked questions about Tamnavulin Cooper's Choice 15 Year Old Malaga Cask

Is this whisky worth seeking out?

With only 300 bottles from a single Malaga wine cask, this release ranks among the rarer Cooper's Choice bottlings of Tamnavulin. Malaga finishes are far less common than sherry or port finishes among independent bottlings, which makes it interesting to collectors of unusual wine cask releases. Demand tends to rise as bottles from the limited run are opened.

What is Cooper's Choice?

Cooper's Choice is an independent bottling series from The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, founded in 1992 by Brian Crook. The series specialises in seeking out rare, characterful single cask releases from distilleries across Scotland. The name is a tribute to the skilled coopers whose craft is essential to whisky maturation.

What is a Malaga wine cask finish?

Malaga is a sweet, sun-ripened dessert wine from southern Spain, often made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes. When a whisky finishes in a cask that previously held Malaga wine, it absorbs the wine's sweetness and dark fruit character. That gives a markedly different profile than the more common sherry or port finishes.

Why are there only 300 bottles of this release?

The number reflects how much whisky remained in this single Malaga cask after maturation and finishing. Because it is a single cask release from one specific cask, the cask's size and evaporation loss naturally set the limit on how many bottles can be drawn.

How does this expression differ from Tamnavulin's own wine cask releases?

Tamnavulin's own core range includes Red Wine Cask and Spanish Grenache Edition, both finished expressions bottled by the distillery itself at 40%. This Cooper's Choice release, by contrast, was selected and bottled by an independent bottler at a strength closer to 50%, which typically delivers a more concentrated, cask-driven experience.

How should this whisky be served?

At room temperature in a tulip glass, allowing the winey, spiced aromas to unfold properly. A drop of water can help open up the deeper fruit notes. Avoid ice, which mutes both the sweetness and the spiced nuances.

Does this whisky pair well with food?

The rich, winey sweetness and dark fruit notes make it a natural match for dark chocolate or a mature cheese like gorgonzola. It can also be enjoyed after a meal in place of a dessert wine. Spiced notes of nutmeg and oak give it enough character to stand alone as well.