Silly story with this one. Knowing I haven't reviewed many BB&R bottlings on this site (only four in the last eight years), I took a look at their whiskies that I did review, and noticed......I already reviewed today's Teaninich, two and a half years ago. And gave it the same score. That's spooky. I never blindly hit the target like that. Now are the actual whisky notes the same?
Ownership: Diageo
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Bottler: Berry Bros. & Rudd
Age: 11 years old (2007-2019)
Maturation: Hogshead?
Cask number: 702605
Outturn: ??? bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.9%
(from a bottle split)
NOTES
I could just hug this nose. Barley, brine, Granny Smith apple peels, apple cider, mango juice, roses, green grapes, and wee bit of grassiness. The fruity palate offers all sorts of juices, like pineapple, mango, lemon, and blood orange. Toasted oak and Lucky Charms "marshmallows" float around in there. It finishes sweet and tart, think peaches and lemons, getting tarter with time.
DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
There's more pepper and brine in the nose, but the mango and barley hold on. The leaner, tarter palate offers mostly lemon and pineapple juices. It finishes sweet, slightly rosy, with a hint of raw almonds.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
Before I get into how this review compares to the one from March 2022, I'll declare that this is the first Teaninich cluster bottle that I would indeed purchase. Though there's no complexity to the whisky, the fruitiness tickles many of my fancies.
In my summary from that review (of possibly the same bottle) 30 months ago, I wrote, "Though it's not the most complex Highland single malt, this Teaninich could have taken on some undesirable tannins after a few more years in oak." Yes, this. I found more variety in the fruit, and less minerality, this time; also, a little more oak in the nose, and slightly more overall stamina once diluted. A real B-grade malt through and through, this BB&R takes the lead in this cluster.
Availability - Germany, I think
Pricing - €65-ish
Rating - 85
