Teaninich 13 Years Old 2009 Cask #10+22 (Signatory)

Bottled by Signatory Vintage, this Teaninich, a 13 year old Highland malt from 2009, drawn from cask 10+22 and bottled at 46%. Teaninich was opened in 1817 on the Teaninich estate in the northern Highlands at Alness, and it sends almost all of its make to blends. It is the only Scotch malt distillery to mash through a mash filter rather than a mash tun.

The spirit was run from a clear wort through the distillery's tall stills, to build a clean, waxy, grassy character. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed sweetness. Mid age brings a deeper honey and a riper green fruit. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the green fruit speak without smoke. 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.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. Green tea, lemon and a soft spice sit alongside soft vanilla and honey from the cask. The mouthfeel is waxy, the citrus carried on a grassy body. Green tea and a soft wax see out the finish. This is a Johnnie Walker workhorse from the Highlands.