Tullibardine distillery information
The current Tullibardine distillery is a distinct, later building from an earlier distillery that carried the same name. The other distillery was established at an unknown location by William and Henry Bannerman in 1798 under the same name and operated until around 1837. The current distillery was founded in 1949 on the site of an ancient brewery in Perthshire in the Scottish Highlands region. It was designed and built by William Delmé-Evans (who later also designed Jura and Glenallachie) and C.I. Barratt for The Tullibardine Distillery Ltd. It was sold to Brodie Hepburn Ltd, whisky brokers and blenders from Glasgow, in 1954.
In 1971, Invergordon Distilleries Ltd. bought Brodie Hepburn, and they increased the number of stills from two to four between 1973 and 1974, when an extensive rebuilding took place. In 1991, Whyte & Mackay (themselves part of Fortune Brands) would buy Invergordon, and they decided to mothball the distillery in 1995. The future for Tullibardine seemed bleak, but in June 2003, news came that a consortium of experienced whisky men purchased the distillery from Jim Beam (who had absorbed Whyte & Mackay in 1996) for 1.1 million GBP.
Production resumed shortly after in December, under the watchful eyes of John Black (formerly of Cardhu, Glenburgie, Miltonduff, Ardbeg, Glencadam, Balblair, Old Pulteney, Auchentoshan, Tormore, Ardmore and Scapa) as manager. Initially they produced at greatly reduced capacity; only using 1 pair of stills, and even that was not continuously. By 2008, the distillery was churning out over 2,000,000 liters yearly, though.
The consortium in turn sold Tullibardine on to a French wine group; Picard Vins & Spiritueux in 2011.
Tullibardine whiskies
A 10 Years Old used to be available in the 1990s, but it was never really promoted. Since 2003, a number of different finishes were released.
- 10 Years Old
- 1993; Marsala finish (released in 2004)
- 1993; Muscatel finish (released in 2004)
- 1993; Port finish (released in 2004)
The current core range consists of:
- Sovereign; matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon casks
- 225; Finished in Sauternes casks
- 228; Finished in Burgundy casks
- 500; Finished in Sherry butts
- 15 Years Old; matured in first-fill Bourbon casks
- 18 Years Old; matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon and Sherry casks
- 20 Years Old; matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon casks
- 25 Years Old
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Tullibardine |
| Region | Highland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Water source | Danny Burn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Picard Vins & Spiritueux |
| Address |
Tullibardine Ltd |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.tullibardine.com/ |
| https://www.twitter.com/Tullidistillery | |
| https://www.facebook.com/TullibardineWhisky | |
| https://www.instagram.com/TullibardineWhisky | |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 6 tonnes | 1 (Stainless Steel, Full Lauter) |
| Washback | 38,000 litres | 10 (Stainless Steel) |
| Wash still | 21,500 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 16,200 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,700,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. An earlier Tullibardine distillery was established by William and Henry Bannerman in 1798 at an unknown location, operating until around 1837. The current distillery was founded in 1949 on the site of an ancient brewery in Perthshire, designed by William Delme-Evans, who later also designed Jura and Glenallachie, alongside C.I. Barratt, for The Tullibardine Distillery Ltd.
Tullibardine was sold to Brodie Hepburn Ltd, whisky brokers and blenders from Glasgow, in 1954. Invergordon Distilleries Ltd bought Brodie Hepburn in 1971 and increased the number of stills from two to four during an extensive rebuild between 1973 and 1974. Whyte & Mackay, then part of Fortune Brands, bought Invergordon in 1991 and mothballed the distillery in 1995.
In June 2003, a consortium of experienced whisky men bought the distillery from Jim Beam, which had absorbed Whyte & Mackay in 1996, for 1.1 million GBP. Production resumed that December under manager John Black, who had previously worked at Cardhu, Glenburgie, Miltonduff, Ardbeg, Glencadam, Balblair, Old Pulteney, Auchentoshan, Tormore, Ardmore and Scapa.
The new owners initially ran at greatly reduced capacity, using only one pair of stills, and not even continuously. By 2008, though, the distillery was producing over 2,000,000 litres a year.
The 2003 consortium sold Tullibardine on to French wine group Picard Vins & Spiritueux in 2011.
A 10 Year Old was available in the 1990s, but it was never heavily promoted. Since 2003, the distillery has released a number of different cask finishes instead.
The core range includes Sovereign, matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks; 225, finished in Sauternes casks; 228, finished in Burgundy casks; 500, finished in Sherry butts; a 20 Year Old matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks; and a 25 Year Old.
Yes, Tullibardine has a visitor centre.