Tullibardine Distillery
About the distillery
Tullibardine is located in Blackford in Perthshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills, and is a Highland single malt distillery with an unusually long history on the site. The story began here as a brewery already in 1488, while the modern whisky distillery was created in 1947 and has since been rebuilt after a quiet period. Today, the site brings together production, maturation, blending, bottling, and visits under the same roof.
History
Tullibardine’s history on the site dates back to 1488, when King James IV of Scotland stopped at the then brewery and bought ale. It was recorded as the first public purchase of ale in Scotland and gives the site a historical weight that is rare even in Scottish terms. In 1947, the whisky engineer William Delme-Evans came to the same site and saw that the water from the springs in the Ochil Hills had the mineral-rich purity he was looking for for distillation. With Danny Burn as the water source, he converted the brewery into a whisky distillery and named it Tullibardine after the nearby medieval chapel. At the same time, the distillery became the first built in Scotland since 1900. After a shutdown period between 1993 and 2003, the site was revived by private investors and then sold on to the family-owned French wine and spirits group Terroir Distillers in 2011. Since then, Tullibardine has once again been in full operation, with cooperage, warehouses, blending facilities, and bottling plant all at the same address.
Ingredients and production
Tullibardine emphasizes that nearly all whisky production takes place on-site; malting is the only part that is not done in-house. This means the distillery controls the process itself from mill to bottling plant and works closely with its own team throughout. The facility includes a Porteus Mill, 10 washbacks, and 4 copper pot stills, and there is both a cooperage and a bottling plant on the premises. The water comes from Danny Burn and the nearby springs in the Ochil Hills, which is part of the explanation for the pure, mineral style the distillery places emphasis on. Production is described as craft, where spirit and wood receive equal attention, and where full control over all stages of the process is maintained. There are no details about fermentation time or the precise malting method in the material, but the overall picture is clear: a classic, working distillery with combined production, maturation, and bottling all on-site.
Maturation and cask types
Maturation takes place in a large on-site warehouse with capacity for 20,000 casks, and Tullibardine uses a broad palette of casks to shape its expression. The core range is built on first-fill bourbon, Sauternes, burgundy/barriques, and sherry, while vintage and special releases also use cognac, Tawny Port, virgin oak, rum, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is especially the combination of bourbon maturation and subsequent finish or re-cask that appears again and again, but there are also longer maturations in sherry hogsheads and American oak. Overall, the whiskies show a distillery that works both classically and experimentally with wood as an active flavour tool.
Whiskies
The core range in the Signature Range is clearly structured around Tullibardine’s house style and spans from Sovereign to 25 Year Old. Here you find younger expressions with floral, sweet, and vanilla-tinged notes side by side with more mature whiskies, where sherry, bourbon, and longer maturation provide depth, spice, and dried fruit. In addition, there are the finish expressions 225 Sauternes Cask Finish, 228 Burgundy Cask Finish, and 500 Sherry Cask Finish, which show how much the distillery works to move its base expression through wood. The Limited Edition series and the other collections expand the picture with single casks, particularly selected casks, and very old expressions, while US Exclusives bring together more accessible expressions for the American market. The overall result is a range that both embraces the fixed Tullibardine core and a distinct playfulness with different cask types.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and style | Tasting profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sovereign | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | First-fill ex-Bourbon Barrels | Tullibardine’s Signature Single Malt matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon Barrels.; Nose: Floral, sweet barley notes and subtle hints of vanilla; Finish: Fudge, pear drops, and soft spice | Current; Core range | ||
| 225 Sauternes Cask Finish | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 225 litre Sauternes Casks; finish: Finished after first-fill ex-Bourbon maturation | Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon Barrels and finished in 225 litre Sauternes Casks.; Nose: Citrusy lime and hints of vanilla and oatmeal; Taste: Tropical pineapple and zingy orange zest; Finish: Creamy edge | Current; Core range | ||
| 228 Burgundy Cask Finish | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 228 litre barriques; finish: Burgundy cask finish | Time spent in 228 litre barriques that previously held Pinot Noir from Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet.; Nose: Red cherries, vanilla, chocolate and Turkish Delight; Taste: Red summer fruit and more chocolate; Finish: Sweet spice note | Current; Core range | ||
| 500 Sherry Cask Finish | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 500 litre Spanish Sherry Butts; finish: Period of time in sherry butts after first-fill ex-bourbon maturation | Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon Barrels and then in Spanish Sherry Butts.; Nose: Intense toffee apple notes and a hint of oatmeal; Taste: Viscous spicy feel; Finish: Sweet dates | Current; Core range | ||
| 15 Year Old | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 15 years | First-fill bourbon casks | Distilled after the reopening of the distillery in 2003 and matured in first-fill bourbon casks.; Nose: Delicate dried hay, parma violets, baked apple, cloves and vanilla ice-cream; Taste: Freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream; Finish: Subtle nuttiness | Current; Core range | |
| 18 Year Old | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 18 years | First-fill bourbon and sherry casks | Matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon and sherry casks.; Nose: Warm spices and delicate aromas of dried fruit, caramel, and vanilla | Current; Core range | |
| 20 Year Old | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 20 years | First-fill ex Bourbon Barrels | Aged in first-fill ex Bourbon Barrels for a minimum of 20 years.; Nose: Floral, vanilla, honey, and butterscotch; Taste: Rich creamy baked apples and chocolate; Finish: Incredibly long, soft finish | Current; Core range | |
| 25 Year Old | Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Signature Range | 25 years | Ex-sherry Hogsheads | Matured for a minimum of 25 years in ex-sherry Hogsheads.; Nose: Subtle vanilla, toffee, and orange chocolate; Taste: Baked banana and orange peel; Finish: Long, creamy, silky finish | Current; Core range | |
| Single Cask Edition – 2008 Cognac Cask | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Cognac Cask; finish: Finished in French ex-limousin oak from Louis Royer | The first in the Single Cask Edition series; voted for by the Custodian Club.; Nose: Intense aromas of earthy oak and softened leather, dried figs and hints of honeysuckle; Taste: Woody aroma builds with a hint of black treacle; Finish: Hidden maltiness for a rounded finish | Current | ||
| Single Cask Edition – 2006 Tawny Port Cask | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 17 years | Tawny Port cask; finish: Final six years after first-fill bourbon barrel | Second release in the Single Cask Edition range; first aged in a first-fill bourbon barrel.; Nose: Caramelised oranges, toffee pennies, rich honey, and raisins; Taste: Sweet fruitiness; Finish: Sweet and incredibly creamy with warm oaken notes | Current | |
| Single Cask Edition – 2011 Virgin Oak Cask | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | American Virgin Oak barrel; finish: Virgin Oak Finish | Initially aged in a bourbon barrel, then re-casked in 2017 into an American Virgin Oak barrel and matured for a further seven years.; Nose: Fruity and floral notes; Taste: Sweetly toasted palate with soft citrus, honey-glazed fruit and dusting of spice; Finish: Buttery oak base of aroma | Current | ||
| Distillery Edition N°1 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Selected by Sabine Hallyburton, Visitor Centre Manager.; Nose: Soft floral aromas of freshly mown meadows with hints of freshly peeled oranges; Taste: Strawberries and cream with subtle flavours of dark chocolate and freshly brewed coffee; Finish: Lingering finish | Current | |||
| Distillery Edition N°2 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Selected by Gavin Cunningham, Senior Tour Guide.; Nose: Soft creamy aromas with a whiff of cordite and hints of tewed apples; Taste: Freshly baked fruitcake and delicate dried spices; Finish: Lingering finish | Current | |||
| Distillery Edition N°3 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Selected by Jim Gerrard, Tour guide.; Nose: Soft vanilla aromas with hints of desiccated coconut and freshly washed green apples; Taste: Creamy lemon curd and delicate spiced oaky flavours; Finish: Lingering finish | Current | |||
| Distillery Edition N°4 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Selected by David Myles, Distillery Manager.; Nose: Rich, honeyed fruits with hints of sweet vanilla, citrus, and baked apples; Taste: Chocolate bar pairing suggestion | Current | |||
| Distillery Edition N°5 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Sauternes cask; finish: Final maturation in Sauternes | Picked by Greg Paterson, Senior Distillery & Warehouse Operator.; Nose: Caramel, vanilla and Scottish tablet; Taste: White peach and ripe nectarines; Finish: Balanced and complex | Current | ||
| Distillery Edition N°6 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Rum cask; finish: Traditional rum flavours | Picked by Andy Simpson, a senior still house operator.; Nose: Molasses, brown sugar, banana, and cinnamon; Taste: Syrupy with spice; Finish: Spicy and sweet lingering finish | Current | ||
| Distillery Edition N°7 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Châteauneuf-du-Pape finish; finish: Wine cask finish | Final instalment of the Distillery Edition series, chosen by Andrea Duffy.; Nose: Full-bodied aroma; Taste: Blackberries, blackcurrants and plums with black pepper; Finish: Sweet, lingering finish | Current | ||
| Custodians Collection 1952 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 60 years | Sherry casks; finish: Finished in sherry casks | Oldest expression released by Tullibardine; one of the rarest and most expensive single malts in the world, presented in Baccarat crystal decanter and wooden box. | Current | |
| Custodians Collection 1962 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 52 years | American Oak casks | From the last two casks of rare single malt distilled on 27 December 1962.; Nose: Delicate floral aromas reminiscent of heather in bloom; Taste: Citrus fruits, pineapple, desiccated coconut, fresh malty flavours; Finish: Delicate allspice and subtle dark chocolate | Current | |
| Custodians Collection 1964 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | 40.4 % | Drawn from Tullibardine's cellars and bottled at cask strength.; Nose: Leather armchairs, fragrant floral meadows, fresh summer fruits drizzled with cream, milk chocolate coated almonds and pineapple; Taste: Fresh summer strawberries, espresso and ground nutmeg; Finish: Creamy milk chocolate coated oranges and subtle oak | Current | ||
| Custodians Collection 1970 | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Two sherry hogsheads | Matured in one first-fill and one second-fill sherry hogshead.; Nose: Bees wax, tangerine, sweet barley, almonds, spice, crème brulee, baked bananas and vanilla | Current |
Whisky style and tasting profile
Tullibardine’s style moves clearly between floral freshness, sweet malt, and warm, wood-driven notes. In several whiskies, you’ll find floral notes, heather, meadows, and parma violets, which provide a light and elegant starting point. From there, the profile often turns to vanilla, honey, barley notes, fudge, and butterscotch, so the sweetness becomes a consistent part of the house style. The fruit ranges from pear, apple, citrus, and pineapple to dried figs, orange, and red berries, while the sherry and spice side adds toffee, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. This results in a profile that can be fresh and floral-driven, creamy and vanilla-sweet, or darker with fruit, spice, and oak.
Visiting the distillery
Tullibardine welcomes visitors and offers guided tours with the opportunity to see whisky production from start to finish. Booking in advance is available by phone or email, and tours run every day of the week from 10.00 to 16.00, except during the Christmas holidays; metadata also lists 10.00 to 15.30. Groups are limited to 8–10 people, while larger groups up to 20 are split. There is a tasting at the end of the tour, driver’s drams to take home, and a Visitors Centre with step-free access, parking, and a lift to the tasting area. Children under 5 are not allowed to enter the distillery, and guests aged 5 to 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The listed opening times are Tours run 7 days a week from 10am–4pm, excluding Christmas holidays. Metadata also lists 10am–3.30pm and booking online or by contacting the Visitor Centre.
See times and book a visit.
Philosophy and craft
Tullibardine describes itself as a family-owned, independent distillery that does things the traditional way. The focus is on having control over the process, on high-quality spirit and wood, and on a dedicated craft team that takes responsibility all the way from still to warehouse. The same way of thinking is reflected in the visit offering, where guests meet a working distillery and get insight into the practical whisky-making process.