Maltbarn versus Thompson, 500th Blog

Tullibardine 1993, 32 years old, bottled at 47,1 % abv by Maltbarn

First things first: In the Fractals series, this Tullibardine matured in bourbon and Madeira casks. Multiple form, so is this a vatting or a finish? Whatever the case, it resulted in 158 bottles of this fragrant Tullibardine. 

Upon Sipping: The oldest vintage, but the lightest abv, so we start our celebratory session with this southern Highlander. Beautiful fresh nose, nothing of the tiredness you can sometimes detect in 30+ whisky. Lots of honey drizzle, sour beer, an old woodshed; stacks of logs waiting for the winter fireplace. On the palate a pleasant and balanced sweetness, keeping the maturation under control, before a flood of wood spices still comes over me. All in a very pleasant way. The finish carries a good kick, warming spices, nutmeg and oranges, and a hint of mulled wine. A hint of bitter apricot lingers on. With water we create even more balance, which means the Madeira is never overly present, and I prefer it that way. I can even detect a whiff of chimney smokiness. The taste has turned a tad more bitter, but all in all it keeps its composure.  

Word to the Wise: A gentleman of a whisky, striding with confidence, never getting too crazy. The year 1993 is significant for Tullibardine, as it was the last year of production before a 10 year closure and takeover. With a character all its own, you will never get bored with whisky from this distillery, and Maltbarn did a good job enhancing the bottling with Madeira influence.

Score: 88 points.

Allt-a-Bhainne 1996, 28 years old, bottled at 49,1 % abv by Thompson Brothers

First things first: Only 198 bottles of this Allt-a-Bhainne were filled after 28 years of maturing, of which 4 were spent in an oloroso sherry hogshead. 

Upon Sipping: And a rich oloroso cask it was, as the nose is drenched in it. Creamy milk chocolate notes, praline, caramel, all with an unusual depth. As if you are hanging over the cask with your nose in the bunghole. With some breathing we pick up rum soaked raisins. Very classical sherry forward whisky, so far. On the palate, the wood signature on this Allt-a-Bhainne is quite strong, perhaps even a tad too strong. It leaves a drying feeling on the tongue, with the taste of mostly chocolate and damp wood. Will a splash of water help? On the nose, it ups the charm with a more red fruity element added now. Underneath it even lurks something of a tropical vibe. Very nice! The taste struggles to keep up, no denying that, but it did become a little fresher with a drop of H2O. More fruitiness, less dry, and overall revealing how complex this Allt-a-Bhainne actually is. 

Word to the Wise: This bottling needs work; with time and water you can uncover the hidden depths of this little-known Speyside distillery. The nose is something of sheer beauty.  

Score: 87 points.

Benriach 1995, 31 years old, bottled at 49,6 % abv by Maltbarn

First things first: A sherry hogshead produced 130 bottles in the Planet series by Maltbarn. 

Upon Sipping: This bottling confronts me with my own ageing process. Once, a 30 year old Benriach would mean you were drinking a 1976 vintage. The absolute top of the top in fruity whisky. But now, apparently, 1995 is also 30 years ago… When I put the glass under my nose, I strangely first pick up a whiff of farmland. Warm wind over a barley field that is ripe for harvest. The sherry notes are subtle and keep a fragile balance on its feet. The palate reveals a sugary taste, before the wood impact makes this a very tannic experience. I guess we need some water, up until now the spectacle is absent. Ah yes, there we go, we managed to break open the fruity insides of this Benriach (remember, spelling it with capital B, capital R was the Billy Walker way). Some mango, peaches, and fresh apples. This develops rather nicely. These juices also carry to the palate, but it does not hide a bitter tannin that is sadly a bit too present. The finish shows a pleasant waxy note, leading to honeysuckle influences.  

Word to the Wise: I had to wrestle with this one a bit, but in the end it started delivering. Still, incomparable with the marvellous vintages of the 1970s and even 1980s. 

Score: 86 points.

Speyside 1995, 29 years old, bottled at 51,7 % abv by Thompson Brothers

First things first: Distilled in November 1995 and bottled in November 2024, a refill sherry butt provided a whopping 488 bottles of this single malt from the now lost Speyside Distillery near Kingussie. The Glasgow Whisky company is working on the new Glen Tromie Distillery which should be on stream any day now.  

Upon Sipping: I had an excellent Speyside 1995 before, but that was much younger than this expression. The nose on this 29 year old reminds me of that bottling, and I love this style. This one is more fruity than dusty, but the cask was modest with its imprint on this Speyside. The development of cherries and some wood polish is incredible. On the palate, a creamy style with a very dry but red fruit and chocolate infusion. The chocolate eventually wins the battle, but some hint of strawberry lingers, turning almost pleasantly sour. With water you pick up more floral notes, like summer flowers invoking the feel of seeing pink everywhere. The colour, not the singer. The palate remains a bit dry, but on the other hand it never feels anywhere near tired after almost three decades in wood. The finish is maybe the weakest link in play here, as it could be punchier, even though this is the highest abv of this tasting session. Still, the progression in the glass is impressive. 

Word to the Wise: This is a nice finish to my celebratory tasting. Of the four samples tasted, this one for me ticks all the boxes, with perhaps a slight complaint about the finish. But you do get a good dose of fruit from this Speyside Distillery expression. It seems to me that the combination 1995 and sherry works wonders for this producer. Worked. 

Score: 89 points.