Cock-and-bull trio No.4, Braes, Glentauchers, Teaninich

October 24, 2013

Cock-and-bull trio No.4, Braes, Glentauchers, Teaninich

A varied bunch again, we'll try to find interesting ones without having recourse to big names as far as the distilleries are concerned. Let's see what we can find...

Braes of Glenlivet 18 yo 1994/2013 (55.4%, Hart Brothers, Finest Collection)

Another name that's seen more often these days. That's right, it's now called Braeval. I remember a good ten years ago, there were rumours that the distillery would be mothballed, so I sent an email to the owners asking for confirmation. A few days later, I got this reply: 'Are you sure this distillery belongs to us?' Says a lot... But that was ten years ago. Colour: straw. Nose: it's one of these 'natural' Speysiders that are all on sweet barley and western fruits, that is to say apples and pears. A little Muscovado sugar, vanilla, corn syrup... And that's all. Nice but very simple. With water: maybe a little mint? That happens often, wood oils and all that. Mouth (neat): good simple malty arrival. Sweet beer, apple pie and custard, back and forth. With water: same. Good balance - which might be easy to achieve when the whisky's simple. Finish: a little short. Cake, vanilla and liquorice. Comments: good, simple, barleyish. Pretty satisfactory. SGP:541 - 80 points.

Let's have another one that should be simple and good...

Glentauchers 17 yo 1996/2013 (46%, Càrn Mor, Strictly Limited, bourbon barrels, 501 bottles)

This one from two casks. Small batches of two or three casks can often be better than single casks in my experience. Colour: white wine. Nose: sugar, sweets, overripe apples and maybe whiffs of 'sweet' flowers. Honeysuckle. Also melon. Really simple! Mouth: another sweet, easy, fruity Speysider. Sweet apples and one or two green ones, lemon drops, sweet barley, tinned pineapples and maple syrup. Does the job. Finish: a little short, with a little more caramel. Sweet malt. Comments: yeah well, no flaws and no thrills. It's very drinkable but there are millions (?!) of similar casks over there in Scotland. No flaws so I cannot go below 80; no thrill so I cannot go above 80. SGP:431 - 80 points.

This possible fruitbomb should be bigger...

Teaninich 29 yo 1983/2013 (57.5%, Signatory Vintage, refill butt, cask #8071, 471 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: hold on, isn't this heavy rum? Amazingly big notes of sugar cane, petrol, olives and tar, we're extremely far from 'Teaninich' but I must say I'm enjoying this a lot. No, no mistakes at WF's sample handling department. Becomes a tad gentler over time but it remains mineral and kind of flinty. Putty. With water: more of all that! Was the cask seasoned with (good) plasticine? Or smoked? Liquid smoke? Was the cask stored in a Harley garage? Mouth (neat): whah! Same feeling, this is quite incredible, mineral, petroly, very nervous (lime!), with some white rhum agricole, some salmiak... Spectacular whisky. With water: and now there's some seawater! More lemons, more almond oil, gravel, chalk, crisp chenin blanc, wax, smokes... Yes, holy smokes! Finish: long, putty-like, salty, mezcaly... What's not to like? Just the aftertaste that's maybe a notch fizzy, bizarrely. Comments: Springbank in disguise? Ex-Lagavulin wood? Fortified Pouilly-Fumé? I wanna see this cask's papers! (just joking). My best surprise this year since Pichon-Baron 1990 in May - but that's not whisky, is it? SGP:373 - 93 points.