To be completely honest, I don’t have too much experience with Tullibardine. There are only four reviews of a dram from the distillery on the blog, in almost 13 years. I know that I really enjoyed the 12 Barrels one from a couple of years ago, but somehow I’ve never reviewed that.

Apart from that, the distillery is a bit of a blind spot. Although, that also has to do with the few expressions that I’ve tried. Most of them didn’t wow me. So when Dràm Mòr sent over a sample I was curious, but not immediately excited.

After just looking it up on Google Maps I think I should really visit the place at some point. It’s quite accessible from a lot of places in Scotland, and since I’ve been to Islay twice and have visited Old Pulteney in Wick, I think a distillery that’s actually near things should not post too much of an issue. Maybe next year, we’ll see.

Sniff:
The initial scent brings an interesting whiff of corn like notes. Sweetness, richness, corn starch. This could pass for a bourbon, and I don’t mean bourbon cask matured Scotch. A bit of a fig and date like fruitiness starts coming through after that with hints of toffee too, but it stays surprisingly like it’s from Kentucky.

Sip:
The palate stays in this area of flavors. It’s quite dry but stays big and rich. The fruity sweetness that comes up after a few seconds is nice, and tastes like date syrup and pastry cream. A bit of a pecan note too.

Swallow:
The finish shows that it’s not bourbon most. There’s dry oaky notes and lots of specific sherry. Not just rich sweetness, but very sherry indeed. Dates, raisins, figs, plums. A hint of barley in the background.

This is highly interesting and surprisingly ‘American’. If you would have given this to me without telling me what it is, I don’t know what I would have made of it. The dried fruits always come through but mostly in second place. The finish is a bit different and makes it a ‘true’ Scotch.

Pretty cool stuff, and rather unique in a good way!

87/100

Available for € 71 at Best of Wines