Review #98: Tullibardine 23 yr 1989/2012, C&S Dram Collection, 54.4%, Hogshead, C#1957, 268 bottles

not this not that

Tullibardine is a distillery that is not in Speyside and is not owned by a giant conglomerate. There seems to be some very young barrels of it lying around, and also some very old ones, but not much in the middle. They produce a fair amount of distillate, and I can't imagine where it all goes -- maybe Highland Queen? In any case, this wasn't made by the current owners.

Nose starts out sour and gristly, but then brightens up with spicy cider apples and vanilla, toffee and grass, and a little smoke. An antique rose and some oak. It's a pretty classic, unfinished profile, with a nice balance between smooth and sharp.

Very spicy on the palate -- pepper and cinnamon -- and the smoke comes through more, too. Otherwise a nice battle between apple juice and dry old oak. A bubblegum note, too.

The finish is a little odd. It becomes overpoweringly oily before the sweet fruit reasserts itself. Oak again, too.


Bottled at a good moment, I think. Very nice, well-aged whisky that takes on a simple profile beautifully. A nice surprise.

score: 87