A Scot on Scotch reviews a 7-year-old, single cask single malt Scotch whisky from Tullibardine Distillery that’s been fully matured in a first-fill Bordeaux Red wine cask.
Damgood Drams
Glaschu Spirits Co is the independent bottling arm of Damgood Drams, an online whisky retailer and cask broker. The company was founded in 2020 by Paul Jamieson and Julian Mithoff. The two met through their roles as Aircraft Engineers but began looking for new opportunities during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
Paul had developed his whisky knowledge through working at Robbie’s Drams in Ayr, and he and Julian launched their online shop when a family friend approached them to sell a private collection. Soon they were curating a selection of their favourite independent bottlers, and it wasn’t long before they were offered casks to purchase. The next logical step was to start bottling, and so the Glaschu Spirits Co came into being.
Glaschu’s distinctive bottles, with their Art Deco styling and bold colouring, were inspired by an old Anchor Line poster, and certainly stand out on the shelf. The lads’ desire to seek out interesting and unique spirit/cask combinations should also help to attract adventurous flavour chasers.
Tullibardine Distillery
The whisky featured in this review is a Glaschu bottling of Tullibardine, a quirky Highland malt from the village of Blackford. Tullibardine Distillery was established in 1949 by William Delmé Evans, a Welshman with a passion for Scotland and its whiskies. After launching Tullibardine, he would go on to work on the likes of Jura, Macduff and Glenallachie.
Like many Scottish distilleries, Tullibardine has experienced its share of ups and downs. Closures and changes in ownership have been the norm, but the plant has found some stability under current stewards, Picard Vins & Spiritueux. The French wine specialist has introduced many a wine cask to the Tullibardine malt, something which seems to work very well.
The distillery itself is small and compact with two pairs of Pot Stills. The lyne arm of each still has a slight incline, helping to promote a lightness in the spirit. The whisky is a light, fruity and malty Highlander, meaning it adapts well to different cask types.
Glaschu Spirits Co Tullibardine Aged 7 Years Review
The whisky was distilled in August 2015 and bottled in November 2022. It was fully matured in a first-fill Bordeaux Red Wine barrique. It’s bottled at 50% abv.
Tasting notes: The nose is pretty full-on from the first encounter, with lots of wine influence. Plums, blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries. Some dark chocolate underneath. Maybe a wee hint of charcoal. On the palate, there’s toffee leading into wine gums – washed down with Ribena. A subtle, peppery prickle of spice. Oak tannins come through at the end and leave a dry, woody finish.
Thoughts: This is all about the cask. There’s not much trace of Tullibardine, but that might not be a problem if you’re looking for big, bold cask flavour. I must admit to being slightly cautious around red wine casks, especially when they add too much dryness to a whisky, but while I’d have liked to see more balance between spirit and oak, the experience here is more about the jammy fruit side of wine, rather than the abundance of tannins. The dryness only really comes through at the end, and remains at a manageable level. It’s almost cartoonishly winey but fun with it. 50% made for a good drinking strength, too.
Price: £70 at original retail price, which is probably the higher end of what you’d hope to pay for a 7-year-old dram. That said, I only paid £40 at auction, and it’s a worthy wee experiment at that price. At full price, it’s probably only a good purchase if you really enjoy full-term wine maturation.
For more on Glaschu Spirits Co, visit here
For more on Tullibardine Distillery, visit here
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