Teaninich 20 year old 1999 Chieftain's, cask 302865

Not only is this my first second Teaninich review, but it's the first time I've ever spelled the distillery's name correctly on the first try! Teaninininininch is one of those Diageo-owned malts that the big D hoards for its blends, so we rarely see even an indie bottle of it here in The States. This barrel, part of what may be Chieftain's final single cask bottling runs, also has a sibling cask #302864 in Europe. And, pretty remarkably, they've both mostly sold out, so I'm thankful to have gotten my claws on a bottle split.

Distillery: Teaninich
Region: Northern-ish Highlands
Ownership: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 20 years old (March 1999 - August 2019)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Cask number: 302865
Outturn: 152 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.2%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
It has a fascinating nose. There are veggies on the top: with cucumber skins, wheatgrass, vegetable broth and charred bell pepper skins. And flowers and fruits on the bottom: lilac and yellow plums. And it works, somehow. The palate stays close to this style. Flower petals, cucumber skins and an herbal bitterness arrive first. Peach skins, lemon-infused olive oil and a hint of metal follow later. One can almost chew the peach skins and cucumber skins as they arrive so boldly. It finishes bitter, tart and vegetal with smaller notes of peppercorns and metal.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Wow! The nose actually intensifies, with the bell peppers and wheatgrass taking over, the blossoms and peaches in the background, and hints of salty broth and dunnage here and there. The palate's vegetal note remains, but with more minerals and metals. Hints of flowers and plums around the edges. Flowers, plums and pepper in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The late scotchwhisky.com said that Teaninich's spirit has "a fragrant exotic grassiness," and that element is alive and well in this bottling, providing a distinctive experience. Plaudits to Chieftain's for bottling a low-oak whisky with this level of organic zing. I really enjoyed these two ounces, but I can't imagine getting too far into a full bottle before being worn out. Whether this style is divisive or not, it's great to have this in the whisky world. If you've had this whisky too, let me know in the comments what you thought of it. For me, tomorrow's (Wednesday's) whisky had the clear edge.

Availability - There may be a few bottles still floating around at American retailers
Pricing - $200-$225 (which is actually much cheaper than its sibling cask)
Rating - 85 (maybe, I dunno)

Fettercairn 19 year old 1996 Chieftain's, cask 91131 (my bottle)

I regret to say I may starting this five-part Chieftain's week with a whisky the others can't match. On the other hand I'm happy that a Fettercairn could be the peak of a whisky week. This Fettercairn conquered my other Chieftain's series almost five(!) years ago. Such was its quality that I bought two bottles and got in on a bottle split of a third. My review pour comes from a first bottle sample. Here's the second, unopened, bottle:

Complete with casket

Distillery: Fettercairn
Region: Eastern Highlands
Owner: Emperador Distillers Inc
Independent Bottler: Ian McLeod
Range: Chieftain's
Age: 19 years (September 1996 - October 2015)
Maturation: Oloroso cask finish
Cask number: 91131
Outturn: 474 bottles 
Alcohol by Volume: 57.4%
Chillfiltered: No
Colored: No
(from my bottle, bottom third)

NEAT
The color is much lighter than the picture leads on. The nose seamlessly spins and merges a plentitude of characteristics. There's toasted barley and dark chocolate. Here's some soil, machine shop and befouled hay. Then cherry lollipops, candy corn and apple pie. How about fresh cherries and guava juice? Yes 'm. The palate shows off a very nutty sherry, full of walnuts and raw almonds. It's also earthy and rooty, and loaded with baking chocolate and hay. Hints of baking spices and bitter herbs rest below. Fruits sneak out into the finish; think tart limes, dried apricots and dried cherries. The roots, rocks, bitter herbs and raw almonds remain, now joined by jolt of Thai chiles.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Dried apricots and dried pineapple slices appear in the nose, followed by toffee, roasted almonds, chalk, clay and something "dirty" though I'm not convinced it's cask sulfur. Now diluted, the palate has become snugglier, with apples, pineapples, pink peppercorns, almonds and dark chocolate. The finish matches the palate, adding a peppery glow.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
When I reviewed this whisky five years ago, I had no idea it was the result of an Oloroso finish, thinking it'd had a full maturation in a stellar example of that type of sherry cask. I'm still fascinated by caliber of its cask integration. In fact I'd take this whisky over ~95% of the full-term sherried whiskies I've ever tried. Though I compared this whisky to a few other distilleries in the first review, after 30+ ounces of experience I see this Fettercairn as Ben Nevis's sibling. It can certainly compete with some of those lovely 1991 Signatories. That's some good company.

Availability - There may be a few bottles still floating around at American retailers
Pricing - $125-$150
Rating - 90

Saying goodbye to Chieftain's

In October of last year, K&L Wine Merchants' D.O-G shared news that genuinely surprised me: Ian Macleod Distillers was "abandoning" their Chieftain's brand. Chieftain's has long been one of my favorite independent bottlers. I've tried at least two dozen of their single casks, and found not a single flop among them. At worst their casks were just fine, at best exquisite. I've also purchased a number of their whiskies. In fact, my stash includes more bottles of Chieftain's than of any other indie bottler.

Checking Whiskybase this week, I discovered that in fact there were zero Chieftain's distillery-specific single casks bottled in 2020, their only bottlings being the mystery-meat "Cigar Malt" and "The Village". So the dissolution seems to be happening, and it's understandable through a specific perspective. No longer a tiny operation, Ian MacLeod Distillers has developed into a second-tier player (with the first-tier being giants like Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Beam Suntory). They own three distilleries (Glengoyne, Tamdhu and second-act Rosebank), twenty other whisky brands (including Isle of Skye, Smokehead, Pig's Nose, Sheep Dip and Shieldaig), four gin brands and three rum brands. That's a lot of moving parts, and the single cask unit must have been seen as the most vestigial or too niche for their current business.

Since I see no hints that this situation will be reversed, it's time for me to send them out with a week of five Chieftain's reviews. Toodle-oo, Chieftain's, you were a good one.

Killing Whisky History, Episode 34: Three Ages of Bell's

Welcome to Episode 7's sequel! Three Bell's, three ages (or non-ages), three bottle shapes and three labels from three time periods. One of these whiskies is very good, one is very not. The beard is very beard and getting bearder.

Speyburn 18 year old

 A summary of my Speyburn experience in list form:

• I miss the old 43%abv version of Speyburn 10 year old, and oh that $14.99-$19.99 price!
• The new Speyburn 10 is okay-ish, but really needs to be bumped back up to 43%abv.
• I'm not a fan of the Arranta Casks.
• I am a fan of the 15 year old, and am glad to see it in the USA.
• Behold this purchased sample of the 18 year old:

How about I open it?

Distillery: Speyburn
Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Speyside (Rothes)
Age: at least 18 years old
Maturation: American oak casks and Spanish oak casks

Bottling date: 2018
Outturn: 9000 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant added? No
(from a purchased sample)

NOTES

The nose is Pop. Orange peel, yellow nectarines, ginger ale, rosewater, anise and dark chocolate. Diluting it to 40%abv narrows it a bit. Flowers and stone fruits. Hints of white chocolate and confectioner's sugar. Bark and barrel char in the background.

The palate is Toast. Toasted nuts, toasted grains, toasted oak, toasted bread, toasted coconut and toasted marshmallow. Lots of limes, some minerals and anise in the background. It trends more towards oak spice with 30+ minutes in the glass. It gets much bitterer once diluted to 40%abv. Bitter chocolate, bitter herbs and bitter oak. One clementine and a vanilla whisper in the midground.

The finish is Grownup Candy. Limes and minerals. Salt and anise. Luxardo cherries and Red Hots. Once diluted to 40%abv, the finish holds the palate's bitterness while keeping some anise and minerals in the rear.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This appears to have been a limited release honoring distiller Bobby Anderson's 18th year at the distillery. So that means he needs another 32 years of service before anyone pays him some respect. Politicians, ugly buildings, etc.

This 18 year old turned out to be a very enjoyable whisky, on par with the 15. I think this one's nose wins out, while my notes on the 15's palate sound a little better. Due to the price difference, I'd probably give the 15 the nod. The 18yo works best at 46%, as the oak flops out at 40%, so thank goodness Inver House bottled it with an adult presentation. Those extra few percentage points help it compete with any of the Big Glens' 18s. Will Speyburn make this a regular member of their range, or will its slow sales keep it limited indeed?

Availability - maybe a dozen or so US retailers, but many, many more in Europe
Pricing - $110-$140 in the USA, $75-$100 in Europe (w/o VAT)
Rating - 85 (keep it neat!)

Tobermory 10 year old versus Tobermory 12 year old

To mark the distillery's 2019 reopening, Tobermory bumped up the age of its intro malt from 10 to 12 years. They also changed the recipe in a matter I don't find promising. The 10 was aged in ex-bourbon casks, a large portion of which seemed to be refill (per my senses). The 12 is a mix of first-fill ex-bourbon and new oak casks. So the modern Moar Oak! Method has now been adopted by yet another uniquely-styled spirit producer. I do not understand why they did that. It's not like all the rich kids are suddenly going to start drinking Tobermory.

One wonders if this would have happened under Ian MacMillan's watch.

Of course if I actually like the 12 year old better than the 10, you can just ignore every sentence above, except for the first one. I did weary of my last bottle of the 10yo, which is why I kept adding it to vattings and pouring out samples. At the time of that review, I applauded the producers for resisting "trying to turn it into something cuddlier and more commercial", yet I was left with "no interest in ever buying it again". And now here we are.

THE DATA

Tobermory 10yo (2015)	Tobermory 12yo (2019)
Distillery: Tobermory Brand: Tobermory Owner: Distell International Region: Isle of Mull Age: minimum 10 years Maturation: ex-bourbon casks Bottling year: 2015 Alcohol by Volume: 46.3% Chillfiltered? No Color added? No (from the bottom third of my bottle)	Distillery: Tobermory Brand: Tobermory Owner: Distell International Region: Isle of Mull Age: minimum 12 years Maturation: first fill ex-bourbon casks + virgin oak casks Bottling year: 2019 Alcohol by Volume: 46.3% Chillfiltered? No Caramel Colorant? No (from a purchased sample)

THE NOSES

Tobermory 10yo (2015)	Tobermory 12yo (2019)
Lots of grains in the foreground, like oats, wheat and barley. Grass, moss and limoncello fill out the middle. Hints of sugar and whipped cream float in the background.	It takes a very long time to open up. Once it does (after 25-30 mins), it's all apple skins, toasted oak spice, black raisins, cheese danish, apple crumble and roses. Manure and marshmallows begin to appear after 45 minutes.

OBSERVATIONS: The 12's nose, once it finally opened, was much better than I'd expected. Though zany and unbalanced, it's also thoroughly entertaining. I still prefer the 10's simple, rustic nose. I can't think of another single malt like it.

THE PALATES

Tobermory 10yo (2015)	Tobermory 12yo (2019)
It's still very youthful, but also has a silky mouthfeel. Toasted barley, apples and ginger snaps appear first. Then minerals and hay. After 30 minutes, a vibrant citrus note takes the fore.	Fresh ginger, lemon cookies and floral white stone fruits register first. When the oak kicks after 30 minutes, sugar, vanilla and caramel push nearly everything else out of the way, with limes being the only fruit that remains.

OBSERVATIONS: The 12's palate reads bigger than the 10's, and at first it's a bright, brisk drink, but then the casks arrive, neutralizing anything unique about the whisky. Though admirably raw and spirit-forward, the 10's palate continues to burn me out after 30mL.

THE FINISH

Tobermory 10yo (2015)	Tobermory 12yo (2019)
Minerals, roots, hay and ginger in the first few sips. Limes, lemons and grapefruits gradually take over.	Tart and a little grassy at first. Hints of herbal bitterness and pickled ginger. Most of those notes are pushed away by a massive sweetness in later sips.

OBSERVATIONS: As with the palate, the 12's finish starts off fresh and crisp, but then takes a turn for the sweet and generic. My thoughts about the 10's finish mirror those of its palate, though I do appreciate that it never gets sugary.

---

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As whisky production is not a charity, the folks at Tobermory were left in an awkward spot. The 10 year old's sales and word-of-mouth never seemed to lift off due to the single malt's unique style, but if the producers were to aggressively tinker with the whisky, then it wouldn't appeal to the few existing Tobermory fans.

A choice was made. By oak-doping the new 12 year old they elected to push it towards a modern, nearly characterless, character. While the quirky nose probably shows the best that can be done by mashing together a bold spirit with heavy wood extraction, all Tobermory notes quickly abandon ship in the palate.

On a positive(?) note, the 12 puts the 10 in a better light, making the retired single malt look like one of the last holdouts from a previous era. Other than the new 18 year old, all other official Tobermory releases have fortified wine finishes. They haven't gone Full Murray McDavid, but they're close. And that is why I have no other Tobermory samples in my collection.

TOBERMORY 10 YEAR OLD

Availability - phased out but still available throughout Europe and USA
Pricing - $45 - $65
Rating - 82

TOBERMORY 12 YEAR OLD

Availability - Available at many European and American specialty retailers
Pricing - $45 - $65 (Europe), $80 - $90 (USA)
Rating - 79

Old Pulteney 1989-2015 Lightly Peated

In a practice never since repeated by the distillery, Old Pulteney released two limited edition batches of lightly peated single malt in 2014 and 2015, distilled in 1990 and 1989, respectively. The malts themselves were not peated, rather the whisky spent the entirety of its maturation time in bourbon barrels that had previously held Islay single malt.

If you haven't had the opportunity to try Laphroaig bottled in that time period because whisky prices are now so extreme, then please take my word that Laphroaig was a much different whisky then than its current counterpart, earthier, oiler and certainly fruitier. (I don't know if this Old Pulteney was aged specifically in Laphroaig barrels, but there was at least one official single cask distilled in 1990 that had spent its life in such a cask.) So I hope today's small batch of 15+ casks resulted in a mildly smoky thing.

Distillery: Pulteney

Ownership: Inver House (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)

Region: Northern Highlands (Wick)

Age: 25 to 26 years old (1989 - 2015)

Maturation: refill bourbon barrels that had previously held Islay malt

Outturn: 3210 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
Smoked almonds, white peaches, rosewater and hint of cotton candy show up in the nose first. It gradually takes on a slightly mossiness, hints of Canadian bacon and blue cheese, as well as a newly opened box of graham crackers. That last note carries over into the palate where I immediately find s'mores and charcoal smoke. Then lime juice, copper, cinnamon, toffee chips and a Campari-like bite. An old school industrial note rumbles beneath. It finishes with charcoal, limes, grapefruits and Campari.

Gonna be gentle with the water...

DILUTED TO ~43%abv, or < ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose focuses on almonds, orange peels, citronella candles and a snuffed bonfire. A bright herbal bitterness pushes the palate's sweetness aside. Lots of almonds and maybe a half cigarette. The finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Indeed, it's mellow; a calm, casual Highland malt. I wonder if Pulteney could recreate something like this today, or have peated casks become too violent? Anyway, I was neither surprised nor disappointed by this whisky. The citrus, subtle bitterness and slight dirtiness of the palate proved to be among the highlights, along with the smoked almond and white peach combo in the nose. Dilution simplified it, but didn't ruin it. Buyers may wish for sensory fireworks when purchasing a whisky at this bottle's current price, but one should instead expect a pleasant, unfussy drink.

Availability - It's still around
Pricing - though it was €180 upon release, expect anything from €450-€900 now
Rating - 87