Tullibardine 10 Years Old 2007 Cask #CM243 (The House of MacDuff)

Single malt Tullibardine, from the independent bottler The House of MacDuff, a 10 year old Highland malt from 2007, drawn from cask CM243 and bottled at 57%. The outturn was 189 bottles. Set beneath the Ochil Hills at Blackford, Tullibardine has distilled since 1949. The name is Gaelic for lookout hill, after a nearby hill once used to watch for approaching strangers.

Distilled on soft Highland spring water, building the gentle Tullibardine style. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the soft character to the fore. At a youthful age the fruit is gentle and the malt soft. Soft Ochil Hills water gives a clean, malty make. 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 57% it is concentrated. Oats, honey and a touch of ginger sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. It is gentle and honeyed, the soft spirit shining through. The close is soft, fruit over gentle oak. This is a wine finished Highland malt from Blackford.