Tullibardine 6 Years Old 2011 Cask #9729 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd.)

This Tullibardine was selected and bottled by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd, a 6 year old release from 2011, drawn from cask 9729 and bottled at 54%. Only 360 bottles were released. Founded in 1949 in Perthshire, off the A9, Tullibardine is a soft, honeyed Highland malt. 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 Burgundy or red wine cask lent red fruit and a soft spice. At this age the spirit is fresh and honeyed, the malt and soft fruit bright. Years in oak round the spirit, the honey and soft fruit deepening with age. 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.

At a hearty 54% it carries real weight. The Port cask adds plum and red berry, and 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.