Teaninich 12 Years Old 2008 Exploration Series (Claxton’s)

Claxton's selected this Teaninich, a 12 year old release from 2008 and bottled at 50%. Set at Alness in Easter Ross, Teaninich has distilled since 1817. Single malt is rare; the Flora and Fauna 10 year old is the only regular official bottling.

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. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller, oilier body over the grass. The light, oily make takes cask character well across maturation. 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. The Munro family ran the distillery through two generations before selling.

At cask strength 50% it is muscular yet green. Green tea, lemon and a soft spice sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. It is fresh and clean, the green spirit shining through. The close is fresh, grass over gentle oak. This is a Johnnie Walker workhorse from the Highlands.