Tullibardine 9 Years Old 2015 100 Proof Edition #44 (Signatory)

Single malt Tullibardine, chosen and bottled by Signatory Vintage, aged 9 year old from 2015 and bottled at 57.1%. Opened in 1949 beneath the Ochil Hills at Blackford, Tullibardine is a soft, honeyed Highland malt. The name is Gaelic for lookout hill, after a nearby hill once used to watch for approaching strangers.

Distilled on soft Highland spring water, building the gentle Tullibardine style. A sherry cask wrapped the soft spirit in dried fruit and a nutty depth. Younger here, it keeps a light, honeyed freshness over vanilla. Long, gentle ageing turns the fresh fruit towards honey and a soft spice. It is one of few distilleries to distil, mature and bottle entirely on the one site. Delme-Evans, a noted gravity flow designer, also drew up the Jura and GlenAllachie distilleries. The malt also feeds the Highland Queen blend, another brand in the Picard stable.

At 57.1%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Raisin and a nutty sherry depth build, and a soft, fruity vanilla meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Beneath it run honey, toffee and a soft spice. It finishes soft, honeyed and clean. This is a soft, honeyed Highland single malt.