Tullibardine Single Cask #3358 41 Years Old 1964 (Ex-Bourbon)

A distillery bottling of Tullibardine, a 41 year old from 1964, drawn from cask 3358 and bottled at 44.2%. Only 248 bottles were released. Tullibardine was founded in 1949 in Blackford, on the edge of the Highlands; it was the first distillery built in Scotland after the war. Picard brought a range of wine cask finishes, named for the size of the cask: the 225 Sauternes, 228 Burgundy and 500 Sherry.

It was drawn off copper pot stills fed by the Danny Burn, for a soft, vanilla scented spirit. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, soft oak that lets the honeyed fruit lead. Very old Tullibardine turns soft and profound, the fruit deep and the oak polished. Bourbon wood frames the make with vanilla, the wine casks adding fruit. King James IV is said to have bought ale at a Blackford brewery in 1488, on the site the distillery now occupies. Its water rises in the Ochil Hills, the same source that feeds the Highland Spring brand.

At 44.2%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. A gentle vanilla from the wood, with honey, vanilla and a soft toffee. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a honeyed body. Toffee, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a mellow, fruity Highland single malt.