Very young indie Tullibardine and quite some red wine


February 11, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, very young indie Tullibardine and quite some red wine

I really don’t know if this will last, given the massive new production capacities in Scotland, but in recent years we’ve been seeing the emergence of very, very young malts, boosted by hyperactive casks, often wine casks. Most were released as NAS (No Age Statement), particularly by the distilleries themselves, who were reluctant to give up the revenue associated with a 12- or 15-year-old age statement. However, a few brave independent bottlers didn’t hesitate to display the ages—a practice we find extremely honest and appealing. Here are two examples…

Tullibardine 5 yo 2015/2021 (51.7%, Silent Ambassador, Port Pipe, cask #105, 270 bottles)

A Belgian indie bottling. I suppose if the ambassador was silent, it wasn’t a brand ambassador, was it (love you all!) Colour: somewhere between partridge eye and onion skin. Nose: much drier than expected, marked by leaves and grape stalks at first, then green pepper, before blood oranges, sour cherries, and blackcurrants make an appearance, followed by marshmallows. Also, black olives bring a faintly ‘dirty’ side, reminiscent of a dirty martini—yep. With water: tomato plants and cherry stems, plus clafoutis. Mouth (neat): rich and fruity, on cherry beer and green pepper. It’s a rather winey cocktail, but quite enjoyable. With water: more on grape stalks, grape seeds, orange peel, and beer bitters… Finish: fairly long and pleasant, with star anise, cinnamon, and even more cherries coming through. Comments: a lovely concoction, I must admit, even if it feels a bit like a super-fortified Port for malt lovers. You’re right, no point in doing things halfway.
SGP:661 - 82 points.

Tullibardine 7 yo 2015/2022 (64.4%, Whisky Navi, first fill Burgundy barrique, cask #656393, 255 bottles)

This time it’s an independent bottler from South Korea, where they now also produce excellent malts… True Korean ones. From a Burgundy cask, and provided it was red wine, it should indeed exude cherries... Colour: golden with copper tones. Nose: lots of marzipan, a touch of black soap, morello cherry cake, a bit of very fruity tomato sauce, and some very ripe orange… We’re moving even further away from classic malt whisky territory, but it’s not unpleasant. With water: little change, except for a hint of rubber and the addition of Xmas cake. Mouth (neat): highly explosive at 64.4%, packed with black pepper and very ripe cherries. And hooray, no creepy crawlies as you often find in ripe cherries. Quickly, with water: really quite good, I think everyone has made great progress with red wine finishes, even if it’s still far from my favourite combination. Long gone are the days of those early Port Ellens with Pomerol and Laphroaigs with Port that left us crying rivers. Finish: very long, well-balanced, more on blackcurrants. Comments: I think if you add ¾ of a fresh Chardonnay or better, Aligoté, you’d get a rather lovely malty Kir. Think of me if you try that recipe, won’t you?
SGP:651 - 84 points.

Of course, one might say that, since red wine is rich in polyphenols that are beneficial to our health, this kind of finishing can only enhance the therapeutic profile of your wee dram. Right. But let’s not forget what the renowned Dr Swan stated during a conference at EuroMedLab a few years ago: “Research has shown that there are even greater health benefits for people who drink single malt whiskies. Why? Single malt whiskies contain more ellagic acid than red wine.”
Well, this all seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Let’s agree on that. And I certainly don’t want to end up in prison for publishing this sort of claim! Dr Swan was, after all, a renowned consultant for... the whisky business. But in these times of triumphant post-truth, is this kind of detail still important?

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