Tullibardine 12 Years Old 2013 Cask #187/2013 (Cask Masters)

Brave New Spirits bottled this Tullibardine single malt, a 12 year old Highland malt from 2013, drawn from cask 187/2013 and bottled at 49.1%. The outturn was 180 bottles. Founded in 1949 in Perthshire, off the A9, Tullibardine is a soft, honeyed Highland malt. It was founded by the distillery architect William Delme-Evans, the first new distillery in Scotland after the war.

The spirit was made in copper stills for a soft, fruity make, for a fruity, mellow make. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. At a youthful age the fruit is gentle and the malt soft. A patient maturation suits the soft, honeyed Tullibardine character. 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. Picard is a Burgundy wine family, and their casks come from vineyards across France.

At a natural 49.1% it is full and honeyed. 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 runs gentle, fruity and mellow. This is Tullibardine's fruity Highland style.