Teaninich 10 Years Old 2007 Cask #702709 (van Wees)

From van Wees comes this Teaninich, a 10 year old from 2007, drawn from cask 702709 and bottled at 46%. Only 343 bottles were released. Teaninich, a large Highland distillery beside the River Averon at Alness, was established in 1817. The mash filter gives an ultra clear wort, the source of its fragrant, green tea grassiness.

Mashed through a mash filter for an ultra clear wort and distilled in fat copper stills, giving the fresh, green spirit at its heart. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the grassy spirit. Still young, the malt is grassy and oily with a citrus lift. Fat stills give a waxy texture that carries the cask flavour. A hammer mill and mash filter, installed in 2000, replaced the traditional mash tun. That ultra clear wort is the source of Teaninich's fragrant, green tea grassiness. Teaninich Castle nearby, once the family seat, is now a hotel and restaurant. Robert Innes Cameron, an Elgin blender, became sole owner in 1904.

At 46% it is soft, green and oily. The refill oak lending honey and vanilla runs under a clean, green fruitiness. A green tea and a lemon note lift it. The close is fresh, grass over gentle oak. This is a fresh, oily Highland single malt.