Tullibardine Sherry Finish

A distillery bottling of Tullibardine, bottled at 43%. Tullibardine, first built in 1949 in Perthshire, off the A9, is known for its wine cask finishes. Mothballed in 1994, the distillery was revived in 2003 and bought by the French wine house Picard in 2011.

The spirit was made in copper stills for a soft, fruity make, for a fruity, mellow make. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut. Carrying no age, it leans on honey, vanilla and a soft toffee. The cool Highland climate gives a slow, even maturation over the years. 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. After lean years and a long silence, private investors brought the distillery back to life in 2003.

Reduced to 43%, it is soft. The Oloroso lends raisin, walnut and a dried fruit richness, and 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. The finish is rounded, honeyed and gentle. This is Tullibardine's fruity Highland style.