Teaninich 10 Years Old 2011 Cask #354546 (James Eadie)

James Eadie bottled this Teaninich single malt, a 10 year old from 2011, drawn from cask 354546 and bottled at 56.9%. 262 bottles in all. Set at Alness in Easter Ross, Teaninich has distilled since 1817. It was founded by Blind Captain Hugh Munro, a Napoleonic veteran, on his Teaninich estate.

It was worked through the distillery's stills from a very clear wort, for the light, grassy, oily make Teaninich is known for. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Still young, the malt is grassy and oily with a citrus lift. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the grassy, waxy core over time. 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. The River Averon runs beside the distillery on its way to the firth. A long fermentation builds the fresh, green fruit the blenders prize.

Bottled at a cask strength 56.9%, it is rich. Grass, pear and a gentle wax meet a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. The mouthfeel is waxy, the citrus carried on a grassy body. A clean, gently waxy finish lingers. This is Teaninich's clean, grassy Highland style.