Tullibardine 15 Years Old

A distillery bottling of Tullibardine, aged 15 year old and bottled at 43%. Set in Perthshire, off the A9, Tullibardine has distilled since 1949. 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. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. 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. 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. The name comes from the Gaelic for lookout hill, after a hill once used to watch for strangers.

Bottled at 43%, it is rounded. 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. A warming, honeyed finish lingers. This is Tullibardine's fruity Highland style.