Tullibardine Vintage Edition 18 Years Old 1993

A distillery bottling of Tullibardine, an 18 year old from 1993 and bottled at 40%. Tullibardine was opened in 1949 in Perthshire, off the A9; it is owned by the French wine house Picard. It is one of few distilleries to distil, mature and bottle all on the one site.

The spirit was made in copper stills for a soft, fruity make, for a fruity, mellow make. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. Past a decade the malt deepens into honey, toffee and a soft orchard fruit. Years in oak round the spirit, the honey and soft fruit deepening with age. After lean years and a long silence, private investors brought the distillery back to life in 2003. Picard is a Burgundy wine family, and their casks come from vineyards across France. The name comes from the Gaelic for lookout hill, after a hill once used to watch for strangers. It is one of few distilleries to distil, mature and bottle entirely on the one site.

At 40% it is gentle, honeyed and fruity. Vanilla and a light toffee from the barrel, with pear, honey and a malty note. The texture is soft and round, the fruit lifted by honey. Toffee, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is Tullibardine's fruity Highland style.