Teaninich 13 Years Old 2008 Silken Daydream (Wemyss)

An independent Teaninich, an independent Wemyss Malts bottling matured to 13 year old from 2008 and bottled at 54.1%. Just 243 bottles were filled. Teaninich, first built in 1817 near the Cromarty Firth at Alness, is a key malt of Johnnie Walker. In 1887 it became the first distillery north of Inverness with electricity and a telephone.

Distilled on Highland spring water through fat copper stills, building the light Highland style blenders prize. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. Around the mid teens the malt gains a fuller, oilier body over the grass. A clean wort and a long ferment build the fragrant, green tea note. A long fermentation builds the fresh, green fruit the blenders prize. A 2013 expansion added a new six still house, more than doubling capacity. Most casks are refill ex-Bourbon, which lets the grassy spirit show through. Captain Hugh Munro built the distillery to give his tenants' barley a buyer.

At a hearty 54.1% it carries real weight. A grassy, waxy freshness sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. The texture is light and oily, the grass threaded with honey. The finish is waxy, green and lively. This is the green tea malt of Easter Ross.