Teaninich 12 Years Old 2008 Cask #715737 (van Wees)

Single malt Teaninich, from the independent bottler van Wees, aged 12 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 715737 and bottled at 46%. A release of 360 bottles. Teaninich was built in 1817 in the northern Highlands at Alness, and it is rarely seen as a single malt in its own right. Single malt is rare; the Flora and Fauna 10 year old is the only regular official bottling.

The spirit was run from a clear wort through the distillery's tall stills, to build a clean, waxy, grassy character. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the green character to the fore. Past a decade the grass deepens, the wax and a soft honey building over green fruit. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the green fruit speak without smoke. The Munro family ran the distillery through two generations before selling. The Cromarty Firth nearby is one of few UK waters home to bottlenose dolphins. A long fermentation of around 75 hours builds the fresh, fruity notes.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Grass, pear and a gentle wax meet soft vanilla and honey from the cask. It is fresh and oily, the fruit and oak well matched. A long, oily finish carries a green lift. This is Teaninich's clean, grassy Highland style.