Tullibardine – Octave 2013, Spirit of Malts (70cl, 53.9%)

This is a single cask Tullibardine single malt from the Highlands, distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2024 at 11 years old. It was bottled for Spirit of Malts as a limited edition of 90 bottles. The whisky matured in an ex-sherry cask and was then finished for seven months in an octave, a 50-litre cask holding a quarter of a standard cask's volume. The move was made to bring out more of the wood. It is unpeated, bottled at a cask strength of 53.9%, with natural colour and no chill-filtering, in a 70cl bottle. It is fruity, slightly spicy and woody with cereal notes, with a straightforward attack, a nice roundness and well-integrated alcohol.