Tullibardine 13 Years Old 2012 Chairman’s Stock (Cadenhead’s)

This Tullibardine was picked by Cadenhead's, a 13 year old release from 2012 and bottled at 54%. 210 bottles in all. Tullibardine was opened in 1949 in Perthshire, off the A9; it is owned by the French wine house Picard. 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 Sauternes or fortified cask gave a honeyed, fruity depth. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller honey and a riper fruit. Under French wine ownership the distillery has leaned into cask finishes. Part of the old estate was turned into a retail outlet during the lean years. 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.

Undiluted at 54%, it is layered. The Port cask adds plum and red berry, and vanilla and a light toffee from the barrel, with honey, vanilla and a soft toffee. The mouthfeel is soft, the fruit carried on a honeyed body. Toffee, honey and a soft oak see out the finish. This is a mellow, fruity Highland single malt.