Tullibardine 11 Years Old 2014 Little Red Rooster (Jack Wiebers Whisky World)

From Jack Wiebers Whisky World comes this Tullibardine, an 11 year old release from 2014 and bottled at 49.2%. A release of 84 bottles. Tullibardine was founded in 1949 at Blackford in Perthshire; 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 worked through the distillery's pot stills, for the soft, honeyed Highland make Tullibardine is known for. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the soft character to the fore. Still young, the malt is honeyed and fruity with a soft spice. Long, gentle ageing turns the fresh fruit towards honey and a soft spice. The distillery sits just off the A9 near Gleneagles, one of Scotland's more accessible. Under French wine ownership the distillery has leaned into its cask finishes. The Murray and Custodian's Collections gather its older and rarer bottlings.

At its natural 49.2% it is concentrated. Vanilla, toffee and orchard fruit meet a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. Soft orchard fruit and vanilla sit behind the sweetness. Vanilla and a soft ginger draw out the close. This is the soft Highland malt of Blackford.