Tullibardine 9 Years Old 2013 Cask #105738 (Duncan Taylor)

From Duncan Taylor comes this Tullibardine, a 9 year old Highland malt from 2013, drawn from cask 105738 and bottled at 53.6%. Just 202 bottles were filled. Built in 1949 in Blackford, on the edge of the Highlands, Tullibardine is a soft, honeyed Highland malt. 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. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, gentle American oak beneath the fruit. At a youthful age the fruit is gentle and the malt soft. Under French wine ownership the distillery has leaned into cask finishes. 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. It is one of few distilleries to distil, mature and bottle entirely on the one site.

At its natural 53.6% it is concentrated. A gentle vanilla from the wood, 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.