‘Fidra’ Tullibardine 21 Years Old 1990 (46%, Lockett Bros, Bourbon HH #6108, 156 bottles, 2012)

• 46% ABV, £49.99
• Score: 83/100

What they say:

Lockett Bros ‘Fidra’ 21yo Tullibardine highland single malt scotch whisky. Outturn of 156 bottles. Distilled 25/09/1990, bottled 12/04/2012 from bourbon hogshead cask #6108

What I say:

Purchased from Lockett Bros wine and specialist whisky shop in North Berwick, partly because I love Tullibardine single malt and partly because I love their own bottlings series produced by Lockett Bros. I couldn’t resist the price tag on this bottle for a 21 Year Old single bourbon cask example from Tullibardine.

Colour:

Pale/straw yellow gold

Nose:

Sweet pear drops and burdock flower

Taste:

Sweet warming apple tart, hint of ginger and sherbert leading to dry and peppery oak

Finish:

Vaporous tangy orange and long, long drying tanned leather.

Would I buy it again:

Possibly yes, this is an interesting example of aged, bourbon cask matured Tullibardine spirit and it actually has a lot going for it. My previous encounters with Tullibardine have been Sauternes or Sherry finished and the Distillery standard 12 Years Old, all of which are very drinkable. There is a subtlety and depth in this I have only begun to discover with my tasting notes and I am sure there is more in here still waiting to be discovered. This is a dram you need to drink over a long period of time to truly appreciate it.