Tullibardine 8 Years Old 2014 Cask #GSL-885 (The Stillman’s DE)

The Stillman's DE bottled this Tullibardine single malt, aged 8 year old from 2014, drawn from cask GSL-885 and bottled at 56.9%. 214 bottles in all. Tullibardine was opened in 1949 in the southern Highlands near Gleneagles; it is owned by the French wine house Picard. It was founded by the distillery architect William Delme-Evans, the first new distillery in Scotland after the war.

The spirit was run through the distillery's compact copper stills, to build a honeyed, malty character. A finish in wine wood, the Picard signature, added fruit to the malt. At a youthful age the fruit is gentle and the malt soft. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, malty core over time. The malt also feeds the Highland Queen blend, another brand in the Picard stable. Part of the old estate was turned into a retail outlet during the lean years.

At a natural 56.9% it is full and honeyed. The wine cask lends red fruit, chocolate and a soft spice, and a malty, honeyed sweetness sit alongside soft vanilla and honey from the cask. A baked apple and a gentle ginger lift it. Vanilla and a soft ginger draw out the close. This is Tullibardine, the lookout hill malt.