Tullibardine ‘228-Burgundy’ Single Malt Scotch Whisky 700ml

Tullibardine Distillery was originally a local brewery known for producing fine beers as the result of the local water supply source in the 15th century. Today, it is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky producer located in Blackford, Perthshire. In 1798, William & Henry Bannermen opened the first Tullibardine distillery and closed in a year. In 1814, Andrew Bannermen tried again and this time, operated until 1837. At this point, it seemed that the Tullibardine Distillery with its rich tradition had finally ceased until 1949 when famous distillery designer William Delme-Evans bought the site and built a new distillery. It was the first distillery to be built in Scotland since 1900.

The distillery was then bought by Invergordon which mothballed it, maintaining its extensive warehousing. Tullibardine lay silent from 1994 until 2003 when a business consortium snapped it up. Their idea was to sell off some of the sites as a retail park, using the money raised to get the distilling up and running again. The new owners found that most of the inventory had been filled into old, tired casks which is suitable for some aspects of blending but were not ideal for a stand-alone single malt. An extensive and expensive re-casking operation was started, leading to the Finished Casks Series. French wine and spirit group, Picard Vins & Spiritueux bought the distillery in 2011 and is still the owner today. Tullibardine distillery has full control over the whisky-making process as it is one of few distilleries in Scotland to distil, mature and bottle all on-site.

This is a delicious whisky from Tullibardine, released in 2013. It sees the Highland whisky finished for 12 months in 228-litre Red Burgundy wine casks from Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet.

Nose:
Spiced, with notes of red berry fruit, vanilla and toasted oak.

Palate:
Creamy, nutty palate entry with notes of sweet custard, apple peel, red berries and orange blossom honey.

Finish:
Long finish with plum jam and allspice.

Overall:
Spiced and rich with a delicious influence from the red wine casks.