Tullibardine The Murray Zinfandel Finish 2012/2023 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review by WhiskyJason

WhiskyJason reviews Tullibardine The Murray Zinfandel Finish 2012/2023 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This Tullibardine from "The Murray" series was bottled exclusively for the German importer Whiskymax. The whisky from 2012 was given a finish in Zinfandel red wine casks and was then bottled at 46% ABV with a total of 1000 bottles.
Whiskybase ID WB242640
Category Single Malt
Distillery Tullibardine
Bottling serie The Murray
Vintage 2012
Bottled 2023
Casktype Zinfandel finish
Number of bottles 1000
Strength 46.0 % Vol.
Bottled for Whiskymax

[@lyacoubian]

Unfortunately Tullibardine "The Murray" expressions are impossible to find in California. Green Spot Chateau Montelena is finished in California Napa Valley Zinfandel casks. Drove up to the winery a few years ago. They have beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Cheers 🥃🍷

[@WhiskyJason1]

Thanks Lorenz!!

[@pizzawarlord9232]

I don’t think I have even heard of a Zindfandel cask whiskey before. Would be cool to try this Tullibardine version. The 500 Sherry I don’t like but was very surprised at really enjoying the 228 Burgundy. The only Tullibardine sold in my state is the 12 yr so I have that the most but pick up others versions when I travel like The Murray and Artisan. Will pick up the 15 yr next. They just got the 25 yr at $400 will pick up 2 Octomores instead.

[@WhiskyJason1]

Tullibardine are putting out very good whisky

[@jbar6284]

You're right, Jason, the distillery should state from where the wine casks originated. As you probably already know, though, a wine (/cask) labelled Zinfandel is very likely to have come from a California winery. Yes, there are a small number of wines labelled Zinfandel produced in Australia, and some (more) from Southern Italy--though the pattern of labelling wines from there as both Primitivo and Zinfandel (virtually identical, but genetically only very closely-related) has perhaps reduced since they first blossomed in ~the early-2000s/late-1990s, i.e. producers there are now more likely to just use the name Primitivo, I think. There are even Zinfandels produced in US states other than California but they're not very common. I could be mistaken, but have never heard of Zinfandel grapes being grown in, say, France, Spain, or Portugal, and despite global warming they're very unlikely to ripen in England as Zinfandel needs a warmer winegrowing climate. The number of Zinfandel wines produced in NZ can be counted on ~1-2 fingers and perhaps not released every year. Possibly some grown in Mexico but unsure? In short, Zinfandel is commonly produced in California but a rarity for most of the rest of the wine world. There's also the question of what type of wood--i.e. French and/or American oak are the most likely candidates but there are other comparative rarities like German, Baltic, Russian, Slovenian, etc. oak.

[@WhiskyJason1]

so it should say - finished in a Californian Zinfandel white oak cask for exactly 365 days :-)