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Auction: SFW40 - Spink x Cask 88 E-Auction - e-Auction
Lot: 5

TULLIBARDINE-2012-#652947


Distillery: Tullibardine
Region: Highlands
Age: 10 years
Distillation Date: 21st May 2012
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon Barrel
Peated?: No
Re-gauge ABV: 58.5%
Re-gauged Litres of Alcohol (RLA): 90.3 litres
New Bulk Litres: 153.9 litres
Re-gauge Date: 5th August 2022
Bottles: 219
Cask Number: 652947

A Classic Highland Malt Offering the Full Orchard, Floral and Fruity

Cask Description

The Spirit
At ten years old, this feels like classic Tullibardine, really committing to the floral, grassy and honey aromas that are a hallmark of Highland whiskies. The distillery's chosen character, as overseen by master distiller John Black, is shown proudly.

The Wood
The spirit and the cask complement each other well, without either one dominating the other. Continuing to mature this whisky in ex-bourbon ought to round out the flavours and give them greater depth and coherence, without changing the whisky's character dramatically. A complementary re-rack could work very well, especially into a lighter spirit cask, such as dessert wine or calvados.

The Masters
The Tullibardine in this cask was distilled at the start of one era, and the end of another. One year previously, the distillery had been bought by Terroirs Distillers, a French family company who owned wineries and distilleries in France, always with an eye for the land that produced their drinks. Fed by the superb waters of the Ochil Hills, Tullibardine relied on its terroir in a way they found familiar.
Sadly, it is also one of the last Tullibardines distilled by the late John Black, a giant of the Scotch whisky industry who served at 12 distilleries over a 55 year career. Tullibardine was his last distillery, and there are special release bottles that bear his name. He died in 2013 and is sadly missed.

"Whisky is my passion, and I have put my heart and soul into this distillery. I always say that if you find a job you love then you stop 'working'. I am very lucky in that I have to nose and taste whisky in the line of duty and I have been very privileged to have experienced some of the greatest whiskies in Scotland." - John Black

The History
A brewery stood on this site near Blackford since 1488, taking advantage of the excellent water that slowly filters down from the Ochil hills. This brewery provided a cask of ale to King James IV after his coronation - the same James IV whose request to Friar John Cor gives us our first written evidence of Scottish distillation. James IV has been a great supporter of the drinks industry in Scotland.
The Tullibardine distillery was built in 1947 by the legendary architect William Delmé-Evans, who was a driving force in the construction of post-war boom distilleries in Scotland. Tullibardine was his first; the realisation of his desire to design and build a modern gravity-flow distillery. Initially created to make a nuttier malt, it has now opted for a lighter and fruitier style.



Tasting Notes

Nose:
Very light and floral, with notes of acacia honey, mown grass and orchid flowers. There is also orchard fruitiness in the guise of green apple or dry perries.

Palate:
Baked pears and apple crumble, both infused with cloves are at the fore. There's a waxiness like a beeswax candle with more honey notes. The finish becomes more herbal and grassy, and then bready like risen dough.

Estimate