
May 2, 2022

Three Tullibardine or Four

We had been rather impressed with some new Tullibardines a few weeks ago, especially with their lovely new 15 years old. So, this is a little follow-up session, with two OBs and one IB or two. (photo Michael Kramer)

Tullibardine 2005/2020 'The Murray' (46%, OB, Double Wood Edition, The Marquess Collection, 17550 bottles)

No worries here, 'double wood' does not mean it's been finished in any kind of way, it is just a vatting of bourbon and sherry. Colour: gold. Nose: distinctive whiffs of ripe bananas, patchouli and eucalyptus at first, then mead and touches of white vermouth and well-aged chardonnay. Nothing against that, at all. Also a little wood smoke and very small touches of caraway, cinnamon and cloves. Mouth: once again, a distinctive style, with rotting tropical fruits upfront (that's a good thing, mind you!) plus liquorice and a wee tar. A little banana wine, as they sometimes make in the West Indies, touches of cedarwood, marmalade, walnuts from the sherry, little coffee, a little cocoa… This one's really complex. Finish: medium, spicier since this is all ex-first fill, but balanced and never drying. Juicy Fruit, juniper, cinnamon and a little mint, or a dollop of cough syrup. Comments: less a surprise than last time. I believe it's incredible how they upgraded this name, from Economy on Aeroflot (a few decades ago) to First Class on Singapore Airlines.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

Tullibardine 2008/2021 'The Murray' (56.1%, OB, Cask Strength, The Marquess Collection, 17550 bottles)

This seems to be fully ex-bourbon, so we should get even 'closer to the spirit', even if it was 1st fill bourbon. Colour: white wine. Nose: perhaps less eccentric than its bro, more on classic vanilla, brioche and biscuit, apple pie, mirabelles, peanut oil, rhubarb… No ripe bananas and old Meursault this time, this is simpler and 'cleaner'. With water: even more so. Apple tarte, vanilla cream, hops and the usual drop of limoncello. Mouth (neat): sweet, fruity, on yellow and orange wine gums and IPA. There. With water: once again, apple tarte, vanilla cream, hops and the usual drop of limoncello (that was lazy at best, S.) Finish: medium, sweet, refreshing, rather on apples and lemon liqueurs. Hints of vanilla and sawdust in the aftertaste. Comments: totally excellent, just much simpler, more elementary than its brother.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

And now, the IB…

Tullibardine 13 yo 2007/2021 (52.9%, Maltbarn, bourbon cask, 160 bottles)

Maltbarn already had some excellent Tullibardines. Colour: white wine. Nose: we're obviously close, but this one has a few more sour notes, some chardonnay, some porridge, some sourdough, even some wood smoke… It is actually a wee tad bigger, but would remain very close to the second Murray. With water: some café latte, limoncello, croissant and a little fresh sawdust. Oak, naturally. Mouth (neat): it is now the same whisky, really. Same wine gums, hops and apple pie. With water: a carbon copy of The Murray Cask Strength. How very funny (BTW, it is not 'Jim' Murray – although I would rather like to see The Broom, The Nouet or The MacLean, not to mention The Jackson). Finish: same. Comments: same. This doesn't happen often but good news here, the whiskies are excellent.
SGP:651 – 86 points.

And a bonus dram…

Tullibardine 26 yo 1973/2000 (49.6%, Signatory Vintage, sherry, cask #2401, 278 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: imagine some lemon tarte with meringue, a little butter cream, honeydew melon, whiffs of thyme tea and pine resin, yellow chartreuse, a touch of stearin, a wisp of elderflower syrup… And then just assorted grapefruits, with only echoes of cardboard, or a bunch of old magazines. Delicate, marginally uncommon, lovely. Mouth: probably more 'deviant', not for the worse this time at all, even if it got frankly grassy and cardboardy, with also notes of amaretti, bitter almonds... Same fruits as on the nose, but rather their peel than their flesh. Zests, amontillado, a wee saltines manzanilla-style... Finish: pretty long, with some burnt and bitter herbs plus some paraffin, which is much better than it sounds. More bone-dry amontillado. Comments: a very good fighter, atypical and now a little out of fashion. Not for the nostalgic whisky enthusiast!
SGP:461 - 87 points.

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