
August 23, 2016

Perhaps a few Teaninich for a change

Teaninich is a huge distillery, and yet not many people know about it. Let’s have a wee bunch, and see what we can find in the ‘Teaninich’ pigeonhole in our sample library... We’ll try to tackle several decades…!

Teaninich 8 yo 1996/2005 (43%, Jean Boyer, Best Casks of Scotland, sherry)

Similar label. A wee bottling for France. What’s good is that it was unchill-filtered and very pale, so probably very ‘natural’, let’s see… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: raw and grassy. Porridge and leaves, aspirin tablets, grapefruit skins, cut grass, wet newspapers… Not the fruitiest malt whisky ever so far, but ‘it talks’. Mouth: good malty grassy arrival, then grapefruit juice, lime, barley, Schweppes, and a little pinesap. Very austere, but ‘close to the barley’, which we enjoy. No make-up whatsoever. Finish: rather long given the strength, grassy, leafy, very dry. Some wholegrain bread in the aftertaste. Comments: pure malt whisky, perhaps akin to what they were making in the Highlands, in the 19th century. Good and, above everything, utterly ‘honest’. SGP:361 - 83 points.

Teaninich 18 yo 1984/2003 (59%, Dun Bheagan, cask #5946, 642 bottles)

Dun Bheagan is a brand by Ian McLeod that used to be quite big in France ten or fifteen years ago. I wouldn’t say we’re seeing many of them these days. Colour: gold. Nose: oh, an awesome sharp sherriness, full of oranges, mustard, pepper, and even wasabi. Coal, ink, more very dry stuff… And a lot of earth. With water: gets even earthier. A walk in a forest, with oranges in the pockets. But why would anyone do that? Mouth (neat): really, a lovely peppery and orange-y attack, dry, sharp, mustardy… Notes of blood oranges on top of that. With water: it’s rather the leathery side that comes to the front, which isn’t quite as good. Very oily mouth feel. Finish: long, bitterish, bitter oranges, leather, pepper, raisins... Comments: I had first thought it would be magic, but it’s just very good. SGP:461 - 85 points.

Teaninich 27 yo 1983/2011 (56.9%, Signatory Vintage, refill butt, cask #8074, 389 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: this one’s extremely mineral, I’d even call it stone-y, with some limestone, wet rocks, then some diesel oil and engine oil, before a few fruits are joining in the dancing, especially white peaches. This is very different, and probably more complex. The wonders of good refill wood. With water: fern, kelp, moss, rubbed leaves. Supreme grassiness. Mouth (neat): I find this exceptional, almost peaty, very mineral, dry, lemony, with a mushroomy side and perhaps some seaweed. Ex-Islay cask? That wouldn’t surprise me. With water: totally impressive. I’m not saying it’s not the distillate, but this sure was a magical cask. One of the most ‘old Highlands’ kind of Teaninichs I’ve ever tried. Finish: long, very precise and austere, absolutely wonderful. Smoky aftertaste (no, seriously, ex-Islay cask?) Comments: to write that this came as a surprise would be an understatement. Super high-class and one of my favourite Teaninichs ever. Agreed, not that I’ve tried hundreds of them… SGP:463 - 91 points.

Perhaps another 1983?

Teaninich 32 yo 1983/2015 (47.5%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, Gold Label)

Colour: white wine. I so totally love it when such old whiskies are as pale as this. Nose: ooh, this is… Silent. I mean, not totally silent, but it whispers, it speaks low, it’s shy, we should not brutalise it. Cut cactus? Moss? Paraffin? Lamp oil? Damp hay? Gravel? It’s either extremely subtle, or… dead. Let’s see… Mouth: not dead, not dead at all. Old limoncello, citrons, celery (never found this much celery in a malt whisky), fennel, verbena… So it got very herbal, yet not sharp, amazingly fresh given the age, and what I especially enjoy is the way it turns almondy. Barley water. Finish: surprisingly long, citrusy and candied, with a paraffiny background that’s totally not a flaw in this context. A funny medicinal side in the aftertaste. Camphor, balms, oils… Comments: only time can gives this to whisky – and us. This baby was fragile at times, but it’s, say luminous side totally saved it. SGP:461 - 88 points.

Twelve years earlier…

Teaninich 35 yo 1971/2006 (45%, Samaroli, cask #3574)

Colour: straw. Nose: similar territories, except that this is more almondy, more phenolic, even earthier, and oh-so-subtle. In truth, I guess this cask was provided by W.M. Cadenhead. Bandages, tiger balm, embrocations, crushed mint leaves, barley water, wild thyme, borage, tea, thin mints… The problem is that with a nose such as this one, the palate could be weak and flabby… Mouth: indeed. Not that it’s weak, but it lost focus and ‘cohesiveness’. Bits and pieces everywhere, such as this ham, or this lemon, and a grassy oakiness that makes it a tad drying. But it’s still very good, do not get me wrong. Finish: rather long, but dry, grassy, with some green oak. Comments: I’m sure it was way better ten years before. When would that have been? 1996? SGP:351 - 84 points.

Perhaps a very last one, what do you think? And since this have become a verticale, well…

Teaninich 20 yo 1957/1977 (80° proof, Cadenhead, black dumpy)

Not the first time I’m trying this baby, but I never quite managed to give it enough time – and attention. Colour: pale gold. Nose: dry and leafy, with whiffs of lamp oil, sesame oil, cut grass, metal polish, paraffin again (and again), bresaola, Grisons meat, cigars that got dry, charcoal… It’s well in the style of these old dumpies, with this metallic side (that may have come from the caps, agreed), but this works like Marcel Proust’s Madeleine. Happy memories, with many friends involved! Mouth: it’s well alive, supremely waxy, peppery, orange-y, slightly medicinal, becoming peppery and grassy. There’s even a little salt. It’s just not too complex – while complexity’s the supreme standard in our little book. Finish: pretty long, a little coarse, grassy, with a waxy/soapy side. Comments: quite brilliant, just not totally flabbergasting. Perhaps a little too dry. SGP:362 - 89 points.

Oh while we are at it, we could as well quickly try the 22 yo again, what do you say?...

Teaninich 22 yo 1957/1979 (80° proof, Cadenhead, black dumpy)

You’ll have noticed that the age statement lies on the neck label this time, while it was on the main label with the 20 years old. Tiny things, salt of our lives, as they say in Goa. Colour: pale gold. Nose: wait, this is superior. It is finer, with flowers, waxes, and many very complex citrusy things. Old sauvignon blanc, for instance, or top dry riesling. Exceptional grapefruits. Oh that will be enough. Mouth: supreme indeed. Bone dry whites, lemons, lime, grapefruits, herbs… You don’t need a novel, do you? I'm not fool enough to try to write one in French, let alone in my lousy globbish… Finish: long, magnificently citrusy and mineral. All ‘green’ peppers of the creation in the aftertaste. Comments: the 22 beats the 20 fair and square. See, age does matter. SGP:462 - 92 points.

(Merci Alain, Angus, Antoine, Diego, Joeri, and Max)

Check the index of all Teaninich I've tasted so far