...where distraction is the main attraction.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Teaninich 27 year old 1972 Rare Malts

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Yesterday brought a 1972 Rare Malts Teaninich. Today also brings a 1972 Rare Malts Teaninich. This one's casks must have been part of the same Swedish sauna parcel as yesterday's 23yo release, as this one flexes 64.2%abv at 27 years of age. The 23 needed some water to open up the palate, though the nose was spot on at full strength. Honestly, I've never had 27-year-old rocket fuel before, so I don't know what to expect.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Range: Rare Malts
Age: 27 years old (1972 - October 2000)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ???? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 64.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A very cuddly nose: shortbread biscuits, sugar cookies, pound cake, apricots, and a hint of molasses. The real heat is in the palate. It registers hot, tangy, and sweet, with lots of oranges and cinnamon. The finish mostly matches the palate, though it adds a little salt.

A wee touch of water...

DILUTED to 100 UK proof, or 57.1%abv

The nose shifts slightly towards butterscotch chips, confectioner's sugar, and ocean air. Meanwhile, the palate opens up. It balances sweetness and minerals well. Lime lollies and orange popsicles. Perhaps a touch of dunnage in there too. The finish seems longer here, all oranges candies and lime candies.

Going to soften it up a little more...

DILUTED to 100 US proof, or 50%abv

Oh, I like where the nose is going with its apricots, sugar cookies, and dunnage funk. Barley takes front seat in the palate, with lemon cake and orange cranberry scones in the midground. Again, the finish matches the palate, though it adds some bitterness to balance the sweetness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Like the 23, this 27yo isn't the most complex whisky in this cluster, but it tastes delicious and smells intoxicating (sorry, that was an actual hand-written note). The nose works with or without water, but the palate needs some dilution to reveal its best sides. I don't know if anyone, two decades ago, spent time with a bottle of this stuff, experimenting to find its peak ABV. Perhaps there's a 90+ point whisky hidden in there. Or maybe it's just a very good drink.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????
Rating - 88

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Teaninich 23 year old 1972 Rare Malts

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Time to go back to 1972 for ye olden Teaninich; or rather 1996, which is when United Distillers (proto-Diageo) bottled this absolute firewater for their Rare Malts range. I'm not sure what casks this whisky was aged in, nor how many, but its hue is quite light. One must assume there was a Swedish sauna onsite because this creature registers hotter than filling strength after 23 years. In my experience, the Rare Malts are usually of very high quality, so lemme see how this Tea be.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Range: Rare Malts
Age: 23 years old (1972 - 1996)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: ???? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 64.95%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's very noseable, and for that I'm grateful. Ocean water, peaches, lemon, and shortbread find their way out of the glass first. After 30+ minutes, agave nectar and prosecco appear, with hints of roses and burlap in the background. The palate is obviously hot as hell. It's also very malty, with almonds and tart plums in the back. It finishes tart and nutty.

A little bit of water...

DILUTED to 100 UK proof, or 57.1%abv

Gingerbread joins the shortbread in the nose, followed by orange candy, lemon bars, and whiff of something industrial. On the palate, there's baked peaches with lemon juice and sea salt, then tart apples and malt. It finishes with sweet peach pie and tangy applesauce.

A little more water...

DILUTED to 100 US proof, or 50%abv

The nose gets simpler, with barley, lemons, peaches, and the ocean. The palate gets leaner too. Barley and brown sugar, limes and minerals. Still with a good length, the finish is all malt and limes.

And now I'm out of whisky.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Nearly 30 bottle years did not calm the burn, though the whisky was somewhat approachable at full power. The nose was excellent and the palate showed promise. Dilution seemed to limit the nose, rather than open it up, or maybe I needed more water (and whisky). Conversely, water helps the palate out, cooling it off and revealing the fruits. Though the whisky's complexity doesn't impress much, the hardy vibrant barley notes are lovely after 23 years. Now how about another 1972...

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Friday, October 25, 2024

Teaninich 35 year old 1983 Signatory, cask 8070

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

For its 30th anniversary, SMWS bottled yesterday's 1983 Teaninich. Signatory Vintage bottled today's 1983 Teaninich for its own 30th birthday. It was only appropriate to try the two whiskies side-by-side. This 35 year old is a rarity for this cluster in that it came from an actual sherry butt. The cask has a very high outturn, which makes one wonder if this was re-casked at some point within its last decade. It also punches in at 57.5%abv, which is some hot stuff for a 35yo single malt. Yesterday's '83 went heavy on the oak, what about today's '83?

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Age: 35 years old (7 Dec 1983 - 12 Dec 2018)
Maturation: Refill sherry butt
Cask number: 8070
Outturn: 575 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Though the nose has a mix of mango and citronella that nearly matches yesterday's 29yo, the similarity ends there. Cherry compote, Frosted Flakes, Macintosh apples, and basil leaf fill out the sniffer, with quieter notes of blossoms and charred veg lingering behind. The fascinating palate starts with old cognac, sweet apples, tart oranges, and peach nectar. Cherry compote and lemon juice arrive after 40+ minutes. The lack of tannin is startling. It finishes sweet and tart, with limes, clementines, cherries, and nectarines.

I'm being careful with the water for this oldie...

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or <1 tsp of water per 30ml of whisky

The nose becomes more metallic, and toasted oak makes a few cameos. Peaches and shortbread float through the midground. There's more wood spice in the palate now; more lemons as well. Orange candy, vanilla, and a hint of wood smoke make up the rest. The finish is shorter and sweeter, with dusty oak and lemon candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Keep this one neat, and it's a near gem. Serge loves it, as does the Whiskybase community, and I can see why. It's lit up with fruits, but something sort of smoky lingers beneath (perhaps like the official 17?), providing some welcome angles and depth. Were that darker note a little bolder, this would be a 90+-point malt. It's still terrific as is though, especially with the lack of clumsy oak, and ranks as my favorite whisky from this cluster so far. Will any of the next three Teaninichs unseat it???

Availability - Might still be available in Continental Europe
Pricing - €600 to €800 w/VAT
Rating - 89 (neat only)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Teaninich 29 year old 1983 SMWS 59.46

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

I promised "considerably older" Teaninichs in my last Teaninich Cluster post, and thus it begins here with a 29 year old 1983 single hogshead bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society for their 30th Anniversary outturn. Back in 1983 there was a Teaninich "A" and a Teaninich "B" distillery on site. SMWS doesn't specific which one this cask came from, though I don't know if any indie bottlers ever had that inside information. This specific Teaninich was dubbed "Jellybean dream", and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad omen...

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 29 years old (8 November 1983 - 2013)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask number: 59.46, "Jellybean dream"
Outturn: 194 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts off very pretty and promising with mangoes, apricots, rosewater, and amaretto. Pencil shavings and aloe appear after 30 minutes and remain somewhere in the middle, while a citronella candle burns in the background. On the other side of things, the palate is intensely woody, loaded with lumber and barrel char. All bitter and peppery. Tart limes, vanilla, tobacco, and Midori liqueur never fully break into the foreground. The tannin-loaded finish numbs the tongue, with cardboard, limes, serrano chiles, and Midori liqueur occasionally peeking through.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose takes a curious turn towards maple syrup, cantaloupe, candied orange peel, barrel char, and jalapeños. But, thankfully, the palate has been rescued, with more limes and oranges, less tobacco, fewer chiles, and a splash of coconut milk. It finishes like caipirinha before the cachaça is added, all limes muddled with sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Dilution saves the whisky! The neat palate and finish are, frankly, not good. Any balance or complexity has been beaten to death with 2x4s, which is a shame because the nose hints at something excellent within. Dropping the ABV down to 46% awakens the fruits, and brings some depth to the oak notes, lifting a C-grade gremlin to a B-grade sipper. Still, this whisky was probably much more fun when it was 10 years younger, just like me!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 84 (Diluted only. It's in the 70s when neat.)

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Bea's Birthday Booze: Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 5

David Stewart's Tun 1401 series scrambled my whisky brain. Eleven-ish years ago, I had the opportunity to try three of the Tun 1401 batches, and I almost stopped reviewing whisky as a result. The quality of each batch was so stratospheric that I questioned all of my whisky ratings up to that point. It was Tim (a.k.a. Mr. Scotch and Ice Cream) who encouraged me to keep going, to absorb the Tun encounters into my overall whisky experience. So I took the sensei's advice and here I am so many years later.

In 2017, my Batch 3 review ended with a mere 91-point score, which could get me kneecapped in some whisky circles. Today I will review Batch 5. While not as lauded as some of the other batches (I'm looking at you #3), it is still a Tun 1401. As per a now-404ed official page, its ingredients were...

"......4 sherry butts distilled in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975 and 5 American oak casks from 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1991......"

...which makes one of the batches with the highest ratio of sherry casks. Had the mix not included the 1991, Batch 5 would have been a 36 or 37 year old whisky. Having received the full details on a different batch's casks, I have no doubt that at least one of the 40+ year old casks in #5 had dropped below 40%abv. That's not a problem for me if the end result is delicious.

pic source
Distillery: Balvenie
Ownership: William Grant & Sons
Region: Speyside (Dufftown)
Age and Maturation: see notes above
Outturn: 2862 700mL bottles
Release Year: 2012
Exclusive to: Europe
Alcohol by Volume: 50.1%
(from a purchased sample)

NOTES

The nose begins with old musty casks in a damp dunnage, ocean brine, raw hazelnuts, and raw walnuts. Figs, eucalyptus, and very dark chocolate materialize after 30 minutes. Hints of guava and toffee arrive near the 45 minute-mark.

The palate starts off much more savory and salty than I'd expected. Very dry sherry, like manzanilla perhaps? Dunnage, tart limes, and jalapeño oil fill the middle. And in the back, surprising notes of tar and kiln keep returning.

It finishes with a note-perfect mix of citrus (grapefruit and blood orange) and sea salt, with Brazil nuts and kiln smoke lingering even longer.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

No dilution for this one. Sorry folks. This was bottled at an excellent drinking strength, and I've gleefully taken advantage of that. Because I find myself preferring the Amontillado and Manzanilla side of the sherry spectrum, this batch hits all the right spots on the palate. Figs + guava + dunnage on the nose? Yes.

At the end of this long day, I've paired this Tun with my beloved 33yo Bunnahabhain, and the experience has made for a lovely personal celebration of my younger daughter's birthday. Though I'm sorry to say the Tun 1509s just can't compete with the 1401s, I do hope Balvenie's current and future blenders can catch the Stewart magic someday. Having pristine 37 year old casks on hand would probably help.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ????
Rating - 91

Friday, October 11, 2024

Bea's Birthday Booze: Seventieth Anniversary Malt 41 year old 1967 Duncan Taylor

Duncan Taylor & Company registered their cask brokerage business in 1938, and after passing from Scottish to American to Scottish ownership, they celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2008. To mark the occasion, their blenders created a vatted malt from two casks of 1967 vintage single malt, one from Glenfarclas and the other from Highland Park. At full strength, that combination turned out 375 bottles of 46.3%abv whisky. During a lovely quiet Taste Off this week, that 41 year old malt served as the aperitif to the Port Ellen that I reviewed on Wednesday.

Distilleries: Glenfarclas and Highland Park
Regions: Speyside and Orkney
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Type: Blended Malt
Age: 41 years old (1967 - 2008)
Maturation: ???
Outturn: 375 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46.3%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose starts with a mix of rope, brine, apple skins, and lemon cake in the front; barley, cinnamon, and rye bread in the back. After 40+ minutes, the whisky develops subtler notes pear juice, guava juice, and musty old cask.

Menthol, black walnuts, and toasty oak greet the palate first, followed by raw almonds, mint leaf, Good & Plenty candies, and tart apples.

The finish registers sweeter than the palate with sugary apples, apricots, and Good & Plenty. Bitter tobacco, bitter chocolate, and iron appear in later sips.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A very modest whisky to bottle for the occasion, this 41yo is so gentle next to the 25yo Port Ellen, reading even lighter than its ABV, that I cannot bring myself to dilute it any further. I have a feeling that one of these casks was getting woody, while the other still offered a bit of youth, because those two sides separate here and there throughout the tasting. But it would still be a very nice everyday drinker, as one can appreciate the whisky's lack of bombast.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Bea's Birthday Booze: Port Ellen 25 year old 1982 Signatory, cask 2846


My baby Beatrice turned SEVEN years old on Sunday. I can't fully process that reality through any of the dusty chambers in my frontal lobe. When I watch her hurry up the concrete steps into her elementary school, smiling at someone inside the building, lugging her backpack packed solid with the many provisions of a child of divorce, skirt hem bouncing around her pale knees, only then do I realize this is 2024. Outside of that moment, I only seem to live in some detached zone where the years merge, my body increasingly fights against breaking stasis, my hearing worsens, and my tolerance for nonsense lessens.

So here's some Port Ellen, because things change.

Distillery: Port Ellen
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Port Ellen, Islay
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Age: 25 years old (11 Nov 1982 - 16 May 2008)
Maturation: refill sherry butt
Cask number: 2846
Outturn: 234 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.3%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

No one makes noses like this anymore. Mesquite-smoked pork and almonds. Kiln chimneys. Nocino, cloves, and blood oranges. Frangelico and mint chip ice cream. Hints of menthol and nut roast. The palate starts with jute rope, tar, black walnuts, and herbal bitterness. Luxardo cherries, grapefruit juice, mint, and peated mango arrive later. The long finish offers heavy smoke, mango juice, honey, and a bright bitterness.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Limes and lemons push the kiln smoke back a bit in the nose. Ocean air and a hint of milky chocolate appear next, followed by pipe tobacco, pipe smoke, and almond butter. The palate has a pristine mix of bitterness (wormwood and coffee) and juices (mango and blood orange), with quiet touches of hazelnuts and mint leaf in the background. The finish holds onto those blood oranges, hazelnuts, and wormwood bitterness, with a little more smoke arising.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Stellar. Though the angels enjoyed this cask, consuming more than two-thirds of its contents in 25 years, they left behind la crème. The vibrancy of the nose and palate nearly overwhelms, whether the whisky is served neatly or not. It's gorgeous stuff, best enjoyed slowly, though the temptation to consume it all is difficult to silence. (If you doubt my superlatives, check out this fellow's review; he's had a few more PEs than I.) Now, onto more old whisky...

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - 🤐
Rating - 92

Friday, October 4, 2024

Teaninich 16 year old 1993 SMWS 59.39

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Scotch Malt Whisky Society called this cask "Gateway to Narnia" because someone over there thought the whisky smelled like an old wardrobe. If a whisky producer can fashion that note in a whisky, they can call it whatever they want. Of course another SMWS noser found only acrylic paint, and "Bob Ross's Stained Pants" doesn't have the brightest ring, so C.S. Lewis it is.

That's some good intro right there.

Anyway, this cluster shambles further back into the past with this 1993 refill hogshead (yes, again) that disgorged some high-octane single malt. At 59.7%, it may be the hottest pour in the cluster. Time to see if my delicate palate survives.

Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 16 years old (Feb 1993 - 2010)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask number: 59.39, "Gateway to Narnia"
Outturn: 255 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 59.7%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose's first note, potpourri, thankfully vanishes within a minute. It's replaced by a whole mishmash of notes: cloves, raw almonds, bananas, cologne, saline, plaster, strawberry jam, and grapefruits. The palate is more focused. It starts with plum skins, dried leaves, and a hint of peppery smoke. It gets tarter (out-of-season blackberries?) with time, while also gaining a bold herbal bitterness. It finishes tangy and peppery, with subtle herbal and mineral notes in the back.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Much better nose here, with a mix of barley, raw walnuts, raw almonds, orange peel, and a hint of palo santo. The palate almost mirrors the nose, but adds a Heath Bar and a hint of the herbal bitterness. That bitterness glows into the finish merging well with tart citrus and cracked pepper notes.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Unconvinced about this whisky when neat, I'm quickly sold once it's diluted. It reminds me of Monday's official 17yo, with their related styles. No more pretty flowers, darkness is creeping in. And now I am intrigued, with no idea what happens to Teaninichs when they get considerably older. Will they continue in this earthier direction, or add fruits, or let oak smother it all? After a happy diversion next week, I will continue the cluster with "considerably older" Teaninichs.

Availability - Sold out during the first Obama administration
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87 (once diluted)

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Teaninich 19 year old 1999 Old Malt Cask 20th Anniversary

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

Staying in 1999 — a good year for film and me — this cluster hops over to Hunter Laing's celebration of the Old Malt Cask brand's 20th anniversary. Said celebration was actually in 2018, but this Teaninich was distilled in '99. The whisky was, yes, also from a hogshead. I hope it has a bit of the previous '99 Teaninich's darker side, because that fit in well with my palate. Or at least, please whisky gods, let this be more about the malt than the cask.


Distillery:
 Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Series: Old Malt Cask
Age: 19 years old (July 1999 - August 2018)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask #: HL 17090
Outturn: 284 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

No darkness here! Plenty of fruit on the nose, though, starting with tart apples, kiwis, pineapples, and lemon juice up front. A few gumballs roll around in the background. Around the 30-minute mark, new notes of baked apples and cinnamon move to the fore, and a hint of cumin shows up in the back. The palate is sweet and malty. Toffee, milk chocolate, and almond butter, then a cayenne bite, and a lemony kiss-off. Lemons and toffee remain in the sweet, tart, and salty finish, with hints of cherries and cardboard in the distance.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Those few drops may have broken this whisky. The nose goes nearly silent, with only vanilla, bananas, and ginger beer remaining. The palate is very simple as well. Just oak spice, toffee, and vanilla. Some of the tartness returns to the finish, along with bananas and ginger beer.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A sweetie-pie of a whisky, this Teaninich could be quite the crowdpleaser when neat, where the malt stands tall. The bright, fruity sniffer wins me over as well, lifting this 19yo from decent-casual-drinker status to a hmmm-pretty-good level. (Perhaps that makes more sense than a number grade?) The less said about the diluted version the better, as the standard Old Malt Cask strength of 50%abv suits the whisky well. The price wasn't horrible either.

Availability - 
Sold out

Pricing - around €90
Rating - 85 (neat only)

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Teaninich 17 year old 1999 Diageo Special Releases 2017

(Teaninich cluster homepage)

This week, the Teaninich cluster heads back to the '90s with a trio of single malts that have more age on them than the first eight members of this series.

Leading off is a 17yo from back when Diageo's annual special releases were still kinda special and didn't lean so heavily into cask fuckery. In 2017, the spirits conglomerate issued their only Teaninich special release to date. And the whisky came from 100% refill hogsheads! Of course the price was well over $300, thus many bottles remain on shelves seven years later, and occasionally a few go on sale for almost reasonable prices.

I almost bought a bottle this year, but couldn't convince myself to dish out over $200 for a 17 year old whisky. It also would have been a blind buy, a practice that has not consistently produced positive results for me. Instead, I went in on a bottle split. So here I go, actually drinking the whisky.


Distillery: Teaninich
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Age: at least 17 years old (1999-2017)
Maturation: Refill American oak hogsheads
Outturn: 5,352 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins a bit austere (almost 9 months since I last used the A-word!), with stones, brine, fennel seed, and halvah. But it opens up by the 30-minute mark, offering pineapple, dragonfruit, toasted barley, apple skins, and a hint of smoked almonds. The palate offers surprises, with hints of black walnuts, soil, and iodine in the background; grapefruit, cayenne pepper, limes, and umami up front. It finishes sweeter and tangy, with lots of peppery notes and that umami touch.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Seaweed and dried herbs now lead the nose, with marzipan, toasted marshmallow, grapefruit, and a rosy hint following. The mouthfeel thickens well here, while the palate dishes out more tartness than sweetness, with broad doses of umami and herbal bitterness as well. It finishes tart and peppery, with a lingering note of orange pith.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though not peated, this whisky has an herbal/earthy side that sets it apart from the other Teaninichs in this cluster thus far, and in the best of ways. It's darker, less perky. It fights a little bit, then offers depth. I hope some of the remaining cluster pours have some of this (perhaps older?) style, and aren't overpowered by oak. This is a bottle I would happily buy, at half its price.

Availability - Retailers around the First World
Pricing - USA: $280-$380; Europe: $250-$400; Japan: $300-$350
Rating - 87