Tullibardine 10 Years Old 2006 Cask #385/2006 (The Whisky Chamber)

Bottled by The Whisky Chamber, this Tullibardine, a 10 year old release from 2006, drawn from cask 385/2006 and bottled at 57.3%. 334 bottles in all. Opened in 1949 beneath the Ochil Hills at Blackford, Tullibardine is a soft, honeyed Highland malt. Its malt also goes into the Highland Queen blend, another Picard brand.

Distilled on soft Highland spring water, building the gentle Tullibardine style. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. Still young, the malt is honeyed and fruity with a soft spice. The honeyed spirit makes a fine base for a fortified or wine cask. 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.

At a natural 57.3% it is full and honeyed. A malty, honeyed sweetness sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. A baked apple and a gentle ginger lift it. It finishes soft, honeyed and clean. This is Tullibardine, the lookout hill malt.