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