Tullibardine 2013 Octave cask 53.7% abv - Duncan Taylor

Bottlers Notes:

For many years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Limited has experimented in the use of differing cask sizes for the maturation of single malt and single grain scotch whiskies. This research stemmed from the simple premise that there is more interaction between the wood and spirit over a shorter period of time in a small cask than in a large cask, allowing a faster melding of wood, air and alcohol. The spirit in this bottle is an exclusive example of good whisky taken beyond all expectations to become rich, complex and wise beyond its years; it has been 'Octave Invigorated'

This Octave Tullibardine has been aged for 8 years in oak casks, it has then spent 4 months in Octave cask #10530304. Only 65 bottles came from this cask when it was bottled in 2021. Price £70

Tasting notes:

Appearance: Deep gold and viscous, this one really clings to the glass when swirling. Slow thick legs.

Nose: Constantly evolving, initially a hit of abv followed by golden syrup. With time it moves again to more plant based notes, garden mint and dock leaves

Palate: Coffee shop strong black coffee with vanilla syrup, cinnamon, dried fruits. With a little water, more espresso notes and added creaminess to the mouthfeel.

Finish: Creamy coffee, vanilla and warming cinnamon spice.

Summary: I’ve always been a little underwhelmed by the core Tullibardine official bottlings, they’re pleasant but nothing that really makes them stand out. As a result, I was particularly intrigued by this bottling, just to see whether an Octave cask could weave it’s magic. The results are pretty impressive, the creaminess marries together beautifully with coffee and vanilla notes, more so with the addition of a little water. I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if I was offered a dram of this one.

This sample was part of a 5 dram tasting pack, purchased from The Spirits Embassy and was used for a Twitter tasting session with The Whisky Chaps. 

We were joined on the session by Ian Logan of Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd providing facts about the whiskies and the distilleries. A big thank you to Ian and The Whiskey Chaps for a great evening.

If you would like to know more about Duncan Taylor and their whiskies, follow the link to the company website 

Or click the link to learn more about Tullibardine Distillery

Transparency: No goods or other incentives were exchanged, offered or requested for this independent review.