This was the first bottling I got that was done by Michiel Wigman. Mr. Springbank, the embodiment of Dutch Whisky Connection, to me at least. To see a Teaninich bottled was something of a surprise, since it’s not a distillery that you see often, and new bottlers tend to go for stuff that’s easily available.
Of course, there’s a bit of street-cred to uphold if you attach your name to it, and it has to sit comfortably in what you’ve been selling as ‘your palate’ for more than a decade.
Anyway, Teaninich. 20 years old. Mostly blending fodder, but occasionally there’s a good single cask. Like this one.
Sniff:
Rather intense on the nose with slightly sweet notes of barley, and brioche. It takes a little while before it starts opening up but there are some green notes of grass and moss. It stays a little meadowy, if that is a thing. Barley, grass, some dirt, a tad dry too.
Sip:
The palate is rather gentle and light. Very consistent with the nose, but with the addition of black pepper. Barley, straw, grass, some oak. Some pear and white grapes. A dry texture, with some coarseness.
Swallow:
The finish is very consistent with the palate. A nice balance between the spirity notes of grass and moss, with the cask influence of light orchard fruits. Not overly long.
This whisky seems to have hit the sweet spot between maturation and spirit. Neither the cask nor the distillate trumps the other, and that is pretty awesome. It’s a very gentle whisky, which I think wouldn’t shine as bright on a festival than it does on its own. But this is a very, very good whisky. Highly recommended!
Words of Whisky (88)
:
Nose: Fresh, citric and mineral with wet pebbles and some chalk. Soft notes of pear skin and ripe green apple as well, with just a touch of honey, sweet barley water and burlap. Finally some pineapple juice as well. Really enticing.
Taste: Surprisingly creamy and somewhat waxy on arrival, with melted butter as the highlight. The oak influence is very gentle. Plenty of sweet pastries, some breakfast cereals, and subtle notes of bright fruits (citrus mainly, but even some lychee at one point). Finally a spicy note that livens everything up, as well as some green veggies.
Finish: Lingering grassy notes as well as some baked pears.
Score: 88
It’s a subtle single malt which veeres towards gentle, but isn’t. It has enough of that Highland ruggedness to keep things very interesting over time.
Teaninich probably isn’t praised often enough and that might partly be because of availability. Here’s to hoping more parcels are put up for sale, so independents like Michiel Wigman can cherry pick these wonderful casks.
BOW (90)
Courtesy of Angus MacRaild Whiskyfun.com
Colour: pale straw
Nose
Citric and effervescent at first nosing. All manner of fresh, sweet cereals, chalk, lemon peel, barley sugars and fresh fabrics. Freshness in abundance; the epitome of natural malt whisky. Given time you find these wee notes underneath of canvass, clay, sheep wool and sunflower oil – fatter and slightly heavier notes which point to a more robust highland style. Water gives rather surprising herbaceous quality, like herbal teas, ferns and cut grass. Superb freshness!
Palate
Sweet, rich and buttery on arrival. Again we’re very close to the natural ingredients with these notes of barley water, boiled lemon sweets, freshly baked pastries, buttered toast and softer notes of limestone, chalk and plain cereals beyond. Extremely elegant, easy and well-structured. In time it becomes slightly waxier, oilier and fatter. With water it’s all on fresh breads, cereals, butter and chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and marjoram. A little tickle of white pepper in the background.
Finish
Long, sweet, lemony, oily and grassy with some more autolytic bread and yeasty notes in the aftertaste.
Comments
A very pure and natural style that makes you think of what we imagine to be ‘highland’ malt whisky. It’s a full and textural dram that happens to also be very approachable and sippable at the same time. Another example of how Teaninich can often be an easily overlooked name.
