Tullibardine 7 Years Old 2010 Cask #49/2010 (Aceo Limited)

From Aceo Limited comes this Tullibardine matured to 7 year old from 2010, drawn from cask 49/2010 and bottled at 60%. The outturn was 457 bottles. Tullibardine, founded in 1949 by William Delme-Evans in Blackford, on the edge of the Highlands, is known for its wine cask finishes. Picard brought a range of wine cask finishes, named for the size of the cask: the 225 Sauternes, 228 Burgundy and 500 Sherry.

It was drawn off copper pot stills fed by the Danny Burn, for a soft, vanilla scented spirit. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the malt. At a youthful age the fruit is gentle and the malt soft. A patient maturation suits the soft, honeyed Tullibardine character. 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.

At its natural 60% it is concentrated. A gentle vanilla from the wood runs under a mellow, honeyed character. A dried fruit and a soft oak give it depth. The finish is rounded, honeyed and gentle. This is a gentle, honeyed Highland single malt.