So... Teaninich it is, or was, now that notes from this tasting is posted. The only pre-80's established distillery in Scotland that I am yet to try that's still in business. A funny coincident I think as there have been some Teaninichs around for as long as I remember, and I have never intentionally avoided it. The distillery was established as far back as 1817 and produces today only a 10yo that's very hard to find elsewhere than in the UK. It produces annually 3m liters of whisky. It's main reason for existing is as a major contributor too Johnnie Walker blends, some of it goes into Haig and Vat69 as well, and almost none of it is left for the 10yo Ob or is rarely bottled by IB's. So, my big question is, is it any good?
Teaninich 17yo 43% The Master of Malt cask#13984
A pale one, color of white wine, smells spirity, washer fluid, antifreeze, methylate, not pleasant at all. It softens given about 20 minutes in the glass, but still it's very unpleasant. I'll give it a shot just for fun, and sometimes there can be deviations of quality from nose to mouth. The taste is not that bad, rhubarb, ginger, hummus, lemon rind, sour apples, a surprisingly fresh and nicely bitter whisky, considering the horrific nose. All in all I think this is a whisky that lacks to give an overall impression, it's sort of going from bad on the nose, to much better on the palate before it shuts down way too early with some spirity and peppery notes in the aftertaste.
The palate alone made it score this high: 4.5
Teaninich 27yo 1982-2010 50.7% Bladnoch Distillery Forum cask#7698
This one is just as pale as the MoM, but 10 years older, my guess it's from a bourbon cask, or some much to much re-used wood, but unlikely as that kind of wood seldom stores the same whisky for 27 years. It smells burnt and bitter, oranges and lime, sweet and bitter, phenolic, perhaps a fino sherry cask? The taste is much lighter in this one, seems a bit more tired, not much fight left here. More bitter lime and some mustard notes, salty sparkling water and gin. Maybe a small splash of water will help it open up. Now it tastes more of yoghurt sourness and vanilla, lighter and sweeter, the bitter notes have all disappeared, but what's left is far from interesting. Light and easy now, more in blend territory.
Okay stuff I guess, how I maybe could've expected the 10yo OB to taste: 3
Teaninich 21yo 1973-1994 57.2% James MacArthur's
James McArthur's has the last year or so been an IB bringing me one good whisky after the other apart from some rather young 43%'s now and again. I so hope this great bottler returns with some CS whiskies again soon. But what can it do in this tasting? With Teaninich? I have no idea, as I said, I've never tried this distillery before, but if someone is going to concince me it's a distillery to try again, it could just as well be James McArthur's. Colour is golden honey. Smells sweet, sort of barbecue sauce and honey liqueur, It does taste insanely sweet, I'm thinking this might be one of those thick sugary whiskies from over-active bourbon wood? The taste is honeyed, bitter again, figs, bananas, dried fruits, very sweet once again. Red onions, chili flakes, tangerines, and cloves. The aftertaste is smoky, big on cigar smoke and fino sherry. I have no idea what cask this (these) could come from, but I know one thing:
It's a good whisky for those with an acquired taste: 7
Teaninich 18yo 1973-1991 58.4% James MacArthur's
Another one from James MacArthur's. A bit younger and way light in color, but I do not dare make any suggestions to what kind of cask it could be from this time. Maybe it's an oloroso cask? Who knows? The last one could be anything. White wine color, as in the first two tastings in this session. Smells fresh fruits, strawberry milk shake, mangos, watermelon, freshly baked marzipan, banana cream liqueur, vanilla, lemon tea and passion fruit. The taste is all on cigars, cedar wood, grounded coffee, sour leaves, cinnamon, earthy notes. A cracker of many flavors that usually would overpower each other, but in this they don't. It's a different kind of whisky, I have never tasted the, much used however, tasting note "earthy" with such confidence before, this is a whisky that I could have alongside anyone else, and it would stand out in some way.
Not perfect, but it has something many whiskies lacks these days, character!!!: 9
Teaninich 11yo 1983-1995 60% Cadenhead's
Finishing off with a whisky from another one of my favorite IB's cadenhead's. Which also has a nice array of cask strength whiskies. The only reason I'd prefer James MacArthur's to Cadenhead's is the simple fact that there are less bad bottlings, in my opinion, in James McaArthur's range, yet, the best of Cadenhead's is just as good as anywhere else, and there's quite a few of them around. At only 11years old this is by far the youngest whisky in this session. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Wow, this really is as pale as water. Smells all on dry-rub dark meat and coffee beans. Quite soapy and austere. Not great, but not as bad as my notes might suggest. Let's have a taste. The taste is flour sugar and bubble gum, a sweet and quite disturbing surprise, almost like drinking melted candy. It's hard to find anything good to say about this one, other than that it has a short and peppery aftertaste. It's like an 80%abv Stroh rum infused with syrup.
Oh no, what a sad ending to this increasingly good session: 2
Next tasting: some blends???
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar