March 20, 2015

Two recent Tullibardine

Tullibardine’s becoming a little uncommon these days. I have to say the spirit’s style is often uncommon as well, with a very particular yeastiness.

Tullibardine 24 yo 1990/2014 (51,3%, Liquid Treasures for SYC Vino and Cigar Taiwan, hogshead, 270 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: some kind of grassy porridge sprinkled with linseed oil and powdered coal, or something like that. It’s very dry, pretty austere, and certainly not uninteresting. It’s after five good minutes that notes of fresh bread, baker’s yeast, and even leaven come out, together with a little vanillin. We’re in a bakery again. Also hints of gravy and/or Marmite. With water: a lot of fresh barley and less fermentary notes. Mouth (neat): completely different, how funny! It’s grapefruit and lemon-flavoured custard, with a bit of tapioca, candle wax, peppermint and pickled ginger. This baby should go well with sushi! With water: indeed, it became quite sake-like. Reminds me of the thick milky/cloudy one, how is it called again? Ah yes, nigori. Finish: long, on cereals, yeasty sake, earth… Comments: quite loved this very unusual baby. Perhaps for adventurous whisky lovers who’ve already got a few bottlings of each main style. SGP:352 - 85 points.

Tullibardine 1980/2014 (48,3%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 14023, 146 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: this time it’s more some metal that’s striking first. A bag of old copper coins, iron… In the background, some fresh butter, cut grass, soot, linseed oil again, leaves and green tea. Just as austere as the 1990, but less yeasty and kind of cleaner. Freshly sawn acacia wood. With water: fun sour wood and Swiss cheese plus marzipan and barley water. Gets quieter over time, more on overripe apples and light caramel. Mouth (neat): fun! Plain oak marinated in pepper, lemon and mint sauce, then covered with marmalade and Campari. I’m not joking. This is unusual, and, yeah, fun. With water: no! It just wouldn’t swim, water letting the oak come to the front. Strong tea and brutal dry spices. More cinnamon than in cinnamon. Finish: long, oaky and peppery. Comments: good, as long as you avoid water – but do you need water at 48% vol.? – it’s really excellent. SGP:461 - 86 points.

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback