Tullibardine Distillery Edition No.1 Cask #150325

This Tullibardine, an official release, drawn from cask 150325 and bottled at 56.4%. Tullibardine was founded in 1949 at Blackford in Perthshire; it was the first distillery built in Scotland after the war. 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 worked through the distillery's pot stills, for the soft, honeyed Highland make Tullibardine is known for. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the malt. Without an age statement, the malt is light, honeyed and fruity. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, malty core over time. 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.

Undiluted at 56.4%, it is layered. Oats, honey and a touch of ginger sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. It is gentle and honeyed, the soft spirit shining through. Vanilla and a soft ginger draw out the close. This is a wine finished Highland malt from Blackford.