Tullibardine 228 Burgundy Finish

Stop number 60 on the SDT is Tullibardine. This is one of the lesser known Highland distilleries. They struggled through ownership changes several decades ago and was mothballed for a while, but they are making a comeback as of late. This is a NAS expression. The 228 designation is in reference to the burgundy casks used for the finishing. They are 228 liters in size. Bottled at 43% ABV, it is most likely chill filtered. The color is a beautiful dark copper or ruby as they describe it. I want to believe this is natural color derived from the roughly 12 months spent in those burgundy wine casks, but I have no info either way. The nose is full of big fruity red wine notes. A strong oaky presence with vanilla and buttercream. Lots of different fruits. Red grapes, cherries, plums, apples, pears, apricots, strawberries and raisins. Trust me, they are all there, like a huge fruit salad. As my wife said when I had her smell it, “It’s like someone took grapes and cherries and shoved them up my nose”. She has a way with words. A sherry like sweetness. More oak with ginger, caramel, licorice and a light minty/menthol note. Milk chocolate, cocoa powder, some honey and malted barley. After some time grapefruit and oranges appear with a generic nuttiness. The vanilla and chocolate come back around. I love these heavily wine influenced scotches. The palate starts oak heavy with some pepper up front. The burgundy casks really take over and shine through with strong fruity notes. Oranges, grapefruit, pears and plums. More wood spice and oak. It dries the mouth like a good red wine. Some bitter tannins but nothing too unpleasant. Walnuts, cinnamon, toffee and brown sugar. Finally, milk chocolate and some caramel. Quite tasty. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is dry and mouth coating. The finish is medium long, dry, oaky, fruity, chocolatey with a pinch of spice and slightly bitter. I absolutely loved the nose on this one. It’s very sweet, but the spice helps to balance it a little. It’s more of a dessert dram than not, but I could grab this one any time and get lost in it. The burgundy casks work wonders here and I suspect they are first fill. I haven’t had anything else from Tullibardine, so I have no reference when it comes to distillery character vs cask influence, but I suspect most of what I am getting here is the wine finishing. I bought this bottle for $64 and I feel that’s a pretty good value for money. It might be too sweet for others, but it’s just right for me. 4.25 Cheers

Appearance In the glass, the Tullibardine 228 reveals a rich, golden amber hue with hints of ruby – a testament to its time spent maturing in ex-Pinot Noir casks from the Burgundy region. The liquid's viscosity is evident as it coats the glass, forming slow-running legs that hint at its body and texture. Nose The nose opens with a delightful bouquet of red berries and dark cherries, immediately setting it apart from more traditional Scotch profiles. There’s a subtle underlying note of vanilla and caramel, complemented by a whiff of sweet spices – think cinnamon and a touch of clove. The wine influence is unmistakable, adding layers of complexity and inviting you to take your first sip. Palate On the palate, the Tullibardine 228 is smooth and well-rounded, offering a harmonious blend of flavors. The initial wave brings forward the rich berry notes detected on the nose, alongside a luscious sweetness reminiscent of toffee and honey. Mid-palate, the influence of the Burgundy cask becomes more pronounced, imparting a velvety texture and a slightly tannic quality that balances the sweetness. Hints of oak and spice emerge as the whisky breathes, adding depth without overwhelming the delicate fruit and wine characteristics. There’s a pleasing warmth that spreads across the tongue, enhancing the overall richness of the experience. Finish The finish is long and satisfying, leaving behind lingering notes of red fruit, dark chocolate, and a gentle spice. There’s a dryness that comes through right at the end, a nod to the tannins from the wine casks, which invites you to take another sip. Conclusion Tullibardine 228 Burgundy Finish is a superb example of how thoughtful cask finishing can elevate a whisky, adding complexity and new dimensions to its character. The interplay between the traditional malt notes and the rich, fruity influence of the Burgundy casks creates a unique and memorable drinking experience. Whether you’re a seasoned whisky enthusiast or a curious newcomer, Tullibardine 228 offers a delightful journey through taste and aroma, making it a worthy addition to any collection. Rating: 93/100 Overall, Tullibardine 228 Burgundy Finish stands out as a distinctive and refined single malt, masterfully balancing the influence of Burgundy wine with the robust character of Highland whisky. It’s a testament to the artistry of cask finishing and a true pleasure to savor.

Nose: Red berries, vanilla biscuits, and a woody note but it's not the aroma of oak cask - it's more like freshly sawn planks. There is a brisk spirity quality to the nose. Palate: Sweet winey notes turning almost instantly very dry with heavy tannins. As it develops it turns a little towards sweetness and evolves flavours of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), sour cherry, unripe pear, unripe greengage, orange oil and white pepper but it is always dominated by the cask tannins. The texture is pleasant. Finish: Medium. Mildly spicy, trailing into a woody, winey aftertaste. Milk chocolate lingers on the tongue. The nose is slightly floral, but only a trace. The overarching aroma is of young red wine cask. Everyone seems to mention milk chocolate in connection with this whisky but I only noticed it on the finish as a relatively strong aftertaste. There is an overall woody quality but like many light whiskies conditioned in wine casks it's thin and "planky". There is no barrel char to perform extractive maturation, and it's young to boot, so the aroma and taste of lightly toasted oak is never far away. There is a certain resemblance between this and G.Rozelieurs Blue Label and also Hellyer's Road Pinot Cask matured whisky, but both of those expressions have more depth. This whisky does not have a demonstrative personality and you need to let it breathe for a while in the glass to open up. For that matter, the bottle level needs to get down to well below the shoulder before it becomes really attractive. A dash of water definitely improves this whisky but it is very easy to drown so don't overdo it. An average but unmemorable single malt that is not of a style I particularly enjoy. I would neither buy it again nor recommend it and it has not inspired me to taste anything else by this distillery. If you want to taste red wine cask maturation done with style pay three times the price and buy any Longrow Red - it's more than worth the expense. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars) ------------- Addendum: After posting this I looked over the official review and previous member reviews which mostly indicate that this used to have greater presence and richness of presentation. I don't know whether this expression has changed, but it seems like it may have. I certainly wouldn't rate it at anything like 87/100.

Not only was this the final sample I had remaining from our last round of group samples, I also decided to do a little comparison with another burgundy wine finished whisky from another friend: the Springbank 12 Burgundy Cask. It only took a small sip to realize that was a bad idea so I abandoned the comparison and decided to let them both speak for themselves. First up, the Tullibardine 228 Burgundy finish. This one comes in at 43% ABV and is a beautiful pinkish-gold in the taster. Spinning it reveals quick forming water droplets and skinny legs. Plenty of water used to bring down the percentage- I hope it doesn’t dull the flavor. The nose was heavily oak and alcohol astringency in the beginning. I had to let this one breathe for over a half an hour before the more subtle notes appeared. When they did it was mostly ripened berries and vanilla. The oak had really faded into the background and that was a welcome experience. It was way too overpowering in the beginning. Patience on the nose is very necessary. The palate arrives with a peppery, oak blast but by mid sip it has settled down nicely and the mild, fruitiness takes over: pears, strawberries and green grapes. The vanilla notes usher in the finish. The finish is where this one shows its flaws. It’s especially hot for a 43 percenter. Black pepper, oak and clove that go down a tad hard. This is not only evidence of the base whisky’s youth but probably the shorter finishing time in the wine cask. It doesn’t ruin the overall experience, but it definitely makes me want to dock it’s total score considerably. It should finish much better than it does. Thanks again to @Generously_Paul for offering up this one for the group. It’s a fantastic nosing whisky that just falls on its face towards the end. 3.5 stars seems about right to me. Cheers.

This has a deep reddish hue. The nose is rich and woody with some red fruit. The flavor is a bit flat with some nice rich, bitter wood that mixes with some cherry and raspberry plus dark chocolate. It's on the dry side and tastes kind of like imitation old scotch. It is an interesting take though. There sure is a lot of alcohol presence and the fruit on the finish is kind of nice and fruity without being particularly sweet. It's rich, but not smoky. The flavor is more dignified than that of the Tullibardine Sauternes. There's some vanilla and malt flavor. If it were less flat and a little more full, this could be some pretty good whiskey. As it is, it's sippable and an interesting detour, but it's mostly a diversion rather than something worth contemplating. The sweetness is definitely there but it not excessive. The sweetness increases toward the finish, which is a good behavior. There's something here that's a little bit like butterscotch and some syrup, but it isn't much. It's absolutely worth a try once, but it falls clearly short of excellence.

After liking the Sovereign and really liking the 225, excited for what this 228 brings to the table. The nose is understated and slow to leave the glass, just meandering around the glencairn forcing me to work for it. When found there is lots of dark jammy fruit followed by rich malt. There is some pepper and leather notes just way in the back. The palate starts off with some of the sweetness that the other expressions showed, then explodes into cereal and baking spice notes, far more aggressive and spiky than I expected. The clove,cinnamon, allspice doesn’t let up and makes it hard to discern much else. Finish is medium long, and only here does the pepper and baking spice bomb let up enough to get at some of the barrel notes hiding from being in the burgundy barrels. After the previous two from Tullabardine I wasn’t expecting this much life jumping out of this. The spice level is definitely reminiscent of a similar proof Rye, minus the anise and herbs. It’s not super complex, (and if it is I can’t tell) but it’s not boring, so give it a try.