Tullibardine 8 Years (2015/2023) - Signatory Vintage
The 8 years Tullibardine - # 2 in Signatory Vintage's 100 proof series - was distilled in 2015, bottled in winter 2023 and sold out within hours, as did the other 2 bottlings in the series. And rightly so? At 57.1% ABV, the alcohol content of the bottlings corresponds exactly to the minimum level at which gunpowder soaked in alcohol ignites - or 100 British proof.
The panel
Mean 82.5 · spread 1
Value for money 5/5
- Distillery
- Tullibardine
- Bottler
- Signatory Vintage
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Highlands
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 8 years
- Strength
- 57.1% ABV
- Character
- rich
Tasting
Nose
This single malt whisky from the Scottish Highlands opens with an earthy, crisp flavour, like a real sherry. The typical profile is played out here: Dark, red fruits, cereal maltiness, dark chocolate and a dash of oak spice. Very classic, very intense - the cask has really delivered here. However, the secondary notes of root vegetables such as beetroot and carrots are exciting.
Palate
The colour already shows what is to come. The flavour of the Tullibardine 8 years is also really progressive. We taste dark fruits and a handful of blackberries in an equally earthy, powerful and full-bodied, oily flavour. We also encounter the maltiness from the nosing again here. The fruity-fresh distillery character comes through in some places, but is kept very small by the cask.
Finish
The Highlander has a slightly salty, yet fruity finish over a long period of time.
Verdicts
Marcel
A genuine sherry tornado with plenty of punch – this Tullibardine really hits hard and is a lot of fun if you enjoy intense, fruity yet earthy aromas. A bargain for fans of powerful Highlanders, it charms with its rugged character but doesn’t hold back.
Sascha
This bottling impresses with a clear, intense sherry cask influence and a balanced structure of fruit, malt, and spice that doesn’t feel overwhelmed despite the high 57.1% ABV. Still, the whisky’s complexity comes across as somewhat rough around the edges and might seem too dominant for purists with a more sensitive palate.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Tullibardine as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £68 across 95 lots · 2024-08