Tullibardine Sovereign
Tullibardine Sovereign is the entry into the core range of whiskies from the distillery in the Scottish Highlands. At the same time, it also forms the basis for further core range bottlings, each of which receives a 12-month finish in a different type of cask than the bourbon cask.
Tasting Notes
Nose
The Sovereign is very faint on the nose. Somewhat oaky and malty, a little vanilla here and there and a hint of pear. Half a spoonful of apricot yoghurt.
Palate
The flavour is also relatively "compact". Also oak and vanilla. Instead of great flavours, we encounter hardly any fruit and more ethanol, which makes it tingling.
Finish
The finish is short with a hint of cinnamon and some oaky spice.
Thoughts
Marcel 59/100
The Tullibardine Sovereign remains rather restrained and unfortunately offers little drinking pleasure – a whisky that tastes more like cask than character. It might be nice for Highland beginners, but true highlights are hard to find here. Let’s see if the finishes bring more life to it.
Sascha 61/100
The Sovereign shows a solid but quite flat structure with dominant bourbon cask notes that reveal little depth or complexity. The balance between malt, oak, and ethanol feels unrefined, and the finish is short and unspectacular. A basic bottling that could be interesting mainly as a playground for experimenting with finishes.
Value for Money: Expensive
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79/100Frequently Asked Questions
What distinguishes Tullibardine Sovereign from other whiskies from the distillery?
Tullibardine Sovereign is the entry point into the core range and is matured exclusively in bourbon casks without any additional finishing. Other bottlings from the distillery receive a 12-month finish in various types of casks.
Why does Tullibardine Sovereign have no age statement (No Age Statement)?
The Sovereign is offered as a No Age Statement whisky, meaning no minimum maturation period is specified. This allows the distillery to blend different vintages to ensure a consistent flavor profile.
What flavor notes should I expect from Tullibardine Sovereign?
The whisky presents a rather restrained nose with notes of oak, malt, vanilla, and a hint of pear. On the palate, oak, vanilla, and a tingling ethanol note dominate, while the finish is short, fading out with cinnamon and oaky spice.