Tullibardine

Tullibardine distillery stands on the site of an old brewery in the village of Blackford. It was established by William Delme-Evans in the 1940s. Today, the distillery is owned by French wine-maker Picard Vins & Spiriteux.

Tullibardine produces a light, floral and fruity single malt whisky. In recent years, the brand has become known for its wine finishes.

Tullibardine takes its water from the Danny Burn. The same water source is used by the Highland Spring bottled water brand.

The distillery is of a compact design. Mashtun, washbacks and pot stills are crammed into the same space.

The wash stills stand side by side, facing their corresponding spirit stills. This unusual setup allows the distiller to focus on one side of the room at a time.

The distillery is capable of producing around 3 million litres annually. Much of the spirit contributes to the blended Scotch brand, Highland Queen. 

A new wood policy saw a large number of first-fill wine casks imported from Europe. The spirit now matures in a combination of bourbon barrels, wine barriques, hogsheads and sherry butts.

The core range consists of the bourbon-matured Sovereign expression and three wine finishes. The 225 is finished in Sauternes, the 228 in Burgundy and the 500 in ex-sherry butts.

Tullibardine is also known for its Marquess Collection. This series of bottlings, known as The Murray, has previously included Marsala and Red Wine finishes.

The limited Custodian’s Collection features the brand's most exclusive whiskies. The first edition was a 60-year-old single malt distilled in 1952.

Older bottlings included a Port Wood Finish, a Rum finish and the 1993 Vintage Edition. Further expressions have appeared from independent bottlers like Lady of the Glen. 

The most recent release is The Murray Double Wood Finish in 2021.

Tullibardine has its own bottling hall, making it one of the few distilleries to produce, mature and bottle onsite.

Blackford village was once home to a number of breweries. In 1488, King James IV bought a cask of ale from the village whilst celebrating his coronation. The same James IV would later commission Friar John Cor of Lindores Abbey to make Aqua Vitae. That event is the earliest known record of distillation in Scotland.

When the last surviving brewery closed in 1927, it was the first time in six centuries that no alcohol had been produced in the village. That all changed in 1947 when a Welshman named William Delme-Evans bought the old brewery and converted it into a distillery.

Delme-Evans sold the business to the blender, Brodie Hepburn, in 1953. Hepburn was in turn taken over by Invergordon Distillers in 1971.

Invergordon increased capacity, doubling the stills from two to four. When the distillery was taken over by Whyte & MacKay, however, it was deemed surplus to requirements. Tullibardine was mothballed in 1994.

A consortium bought the distillery in 2003 and resumed production. Land to the rear of the building was developed into the Eagles Gate shopping centre. When Picard Wines and Spirits took over in 2011, the shopping centre was bought back and converted into warehouses and a visitor centre.

Today, the distillery runs tours and tastings onsite. Visitors can shop for souvenirs or enjoy a bite to eat in the 1488 cafe.

In recent years, the distillery has worked with Bridge of Allan brewery to produce a Scottish Ale, in honour of its brewing history.