
December 12, 2017

Some new Tullibardines from that vintage

You may have noticed that some names and vintages come in waves, and that’s usually because parcels of 25 or more casks are sold to good brokers, who’d sell them on to main bottlers, who’d then sell some on to distinguished sub-bottlers, who’d then sell some on to honourable sub-sub-bottlers, and so on. One current example, Tullibardine 1993. Let’s try a few…

Tullibardine 24 yo 1993/2017 (52.5%, Sansibar, 272 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: I’m always finding ink and burnt herbs in Tullibardine, not that I’ve tried hundreds of them. This is no exception, there’s some ink, some porridge, some burnt cardboard, plenty of bread and yeasts, hints of rye… In short his one’s very bready, and that’s not something that I dislike. With water: frankly, you would think this is some 3 yo American craft malt whiskey. Made on location, not sourced from a whisky plant. Mouth (neat): rich and, I have to say, surprisingly good. There’s a feeling of melted Swiss cheese (raclette), and some wacky metallic notes to boot, but at least it’s got a huge personality, it’s very distillate-driven, and it’s pleasantly un-commercial. With water: yeast, bread, flour, rye, porridge… At lest this baby tells you that malt whisky isn’t made by distilling vanilla and oak. Finish: medium, dry, a little austere. And very bready. Comments: bread eau-de-vie. There’s something natural to this. SGP:351 - 83 points.

Tullibardine 24 yo 1993/2017 (51.5%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, cask # cask 12026, 262 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: a very similar, very bready nose, just a tad rounder and, perhaps a little smokier. The cask may have been more active. Vanilla, wholegrain bread, dough, baker’s yeast, rye, a little green peppercorn… With water: cardboard, ink, a pile of old magazines in the attic… Mouth (neat): very good, just wacky and kind of deviant. I’m finding Swiss cheese again, fermenting plums, rotting papayas, sour dough, and buckwheat batter. Ready for crêpes? With water: smoked plums and apples, and a very dry cerealy side. Chickpea flour. Finish: medium, dry, bready. Comments: very similar. What’s sure is that Tullibardine’s got its very own, genuine character. SGP:351 - 83 points.

Tullibardine 24 yo 1993/2017 (52.1%, Valinch & Mallet, bourbon hogshead, cask #17-947, 234 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: more active wood, a better filtering (out), more cake, bananas flambéed, roasted peanuts, burnt oak, steak on the BBQ, kougelhopf… It’s still quite bready, but a new layer of aromas has been added over it. Nice cask. With water: lovely gingerbread and other breads. Rye bread, for example. Mouth (neat): yes indeed, more action, less cheese, less porridge, less dough. Toasted pastries, caraway liqueur, pumpernickel (I know that’s bread), some kind of gingery sweet curry… It’s as if they’ve used those small casks that craft distillers are using nowadays, but I doubt they did that. With water: excellent! A young craft whisky that’s taken 24 years to mature ;-) – don’t tell bankers. Notes of that original pot still vodka called Polugar. Finish: rather long, with bitter oranges, bread, rye, ginger, sweet curry… Comments: I could quaff this one… (well, the others too). SGP:451 - 85 points.

Tullibardine 23 yo 1993/2017 (47.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 270 bottles)

Yes another 1993… Colour: straw. Nose: a rather cleaner Tully, but it’s got sour dough for sure, baker’s yeast, sawdust, and a fresh Parisian baguette from a proper baker’s. Freshly sawn wood at Home Depot’s. Mouth: very good. Bread liqueur, pumpernickel, baguette, plantain bread, flours, cerealy spices… Frankly, this is liquid bread. Again, a feeling of craft whisky that’s taken 23 years to mature. Some may have to work a little further on their business plans… Finish: medium, very bready, in a great way. Comments: I utterly adore bread. Bread (and love) is life. But why am I telling you this?... SGP:341 - 85 points.

This kind of session is a little exhausting, I have to say. Okay, one more and we’re done, coz mind you, this is not bakeryfun.com… (and there’s a lost episode of Inspektor Derrick on TV)…

Tullibardine 24 yo 1993/2017 (45.5%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 264 bottles)

Tullibardine 24 yo 1993/2017 (45.5%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 264 bottles) Colour: straw. Nose: smoked bread, sourdough, beer, flour… Right, this will be quick. Mouth: ah, no, something’ happening, I’m finding fruits! Fig cake, banana cake, then gingerbread, vanilla-and-apricot tarte, custard, East-European herbal liqueur (Danziger Goldwasser, mit Blattgold!)… There’s more thickness, more body, more creaminess… A rejuvenated hoggie? Finish: long and half-bready, half-cake-y. Comments: we’ve never stopped progressing, have we? SGP:451 - 86 points.

We’ve got more Tullibardine 1993 on the table, but sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. So…

Check the index of all Tullibardine I've tasted so far