When I picked this blog back up and starting getting into my visit to Tullibardine I was sure I got a sample to take away. Much hunting later I found the little plastic bottle at the back of the cupboard with only “Burgundy” typed on a sticky label to give me a clue of what it was.

The Distillery

The Distillery is located next to the motorway in Auchterarder and was built in 1947 before opening in 1949 from an old brewery. This was the first distillery to be opened since 1900 in Scotland from a converted brewery. That is the reason for the 1488 markings you see on the bottles and not because of whisky production.

The distillery worked as an industrial distillery producing malt whisky for blenders until being mothballed in 1994 by Whyte &  Mackay. In 2003 a private group of individual’s bought the distillery and the stock from the warehouses for £1.1 million and set about turning it into a distillery producing single malt whisky with a visitor attraction.

The group sold their stake in 2011 to a french drinks company Picard Vins but not before investing heavily in a new wood policy to revitalise the large number of tired casks in the warehouse. This is common for whisky being matured for blends and the barrel types did not allow for a diverse range of single malts to be produced. To provide additional revenue the site had a shopping centre added to it to provide rental income and passing trade to their visitor centre and cafe.

Today the Picard parent company is investing heavily in the marketing of Tullibardine and has closed the retail park. The space will now be used to expand the operations of the distillery as they grow their market share. It seems that the future of Tullibardine has been assured now and is going to grow into a volume producer of single malt whisky.

The Whisky

Taking young whisky from ex-bourbon barrels and adding an finishing period in Pinot Noir casks from Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet we are mixing wines I like with whisky which I like, Bottled at 43% ABV I was told when I visited there is longer term plans to up the ABV when stock levels allow across the full core range of finishes. Today’s prices have this around the low £40’s. I am sure this is about £8 higher than it used to be. Certainly, if you find it in a supermarket it will hit the periodical price cuts every couple of months.

Tasting Notes

The auburn hue of this whisky comes directly from its time spent in the 228 litre barriques that previously held Pinot Noir from Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet.

The nose of the 228 features red cherries and vanilla with hints of chocolate and Turkish Delight.

On the palate, there is a real hint of red summer fruit, more chocolate and a sweet spice note on the finish.

Official Tasting Notes

Nose – red wine dominant very drying but still deep and rich

Palate – the palate follows the palate with a dominent chocolate and vineyard fruit over anything much else

Finish – sprigs of mint and a lingering prickle of wood tannins, pepper and a small amount of chilli add new interest

Final Thoughts

A definite crowd pleaser for those who know they like unseated red wine finishes. These are wet casks with lots of first fill loveliness to impart but those who like their whisky as subtle as they are will be left wondering where the whisky has gone and why the wine is in such a small glass.