Teaninich 13 Years Old 2009 Cask #6734259 (Duncan Taylor)

Bottled by Duncan Taylor, this Teaninich, a 13 year old from 2009, drawn from cask 6734259 and bottled at 55.2%. A release of 86 bottles. Teaninich was built in 1817 in Easter Ross, north of Inverness; it uses a mash filter found nowhere else in Scotch. Its make is a key part of Johnnie Walker, Haig and VAT 69.

The spirit was made from a mash filter wort for a clean, grassy spirit, for a clean, oily make of real freshness. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Past a decade the grass deepens, the wax and a soft honey building over green fruit. Sherry wood suits the light make, lending dried fruit and a nutty depth. A long fermentation of around 75 hours builds the fresh, fruity notes. Filled spirit is tankered away to mature in Diageo's central warehouses. The name comes from the Gaelic for house on the hill, a nod to the old estate. By the 1970s Teaninich was already one of the largest distilleries in Scotland.

Bottled at a cask strength 55.2%, it is rich. Vanilla and a light cream from the barrel, with cut grass, green tea and a soft citrus. A green tea and a lemon note lift it. The close is fresh, grass over gentle oak. This is a rare single malt from a blending giant.