Teaninich 15 Years Old 2007 Cask #700143 (Elixir)

Bottled by Elixir Distillers, this Teaninich, a 15 year old release from 2007, drawn from cask 700143 and bottled at 56%. Just 274 bottles were filled. 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. Single malt is rare; the Flora and Fauna 10 year old is the only regular official bottling.

The spirit was run from a clear wort through the distillery's tall stills, to build a clean, waxy, grassy character. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the grassy spirit. Mid age brings a deeper honey and a riper green fruit. The penetrating, fresh acidity of the spirit keeps it lively with age. 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 56%, undiluted, it is deep and grassy. A grassy, waxy freshness sit alongside soft vanilla and honey from the cask. It is fresh and oily, the fruit and oak well matched. Green tea and a soft wax see out the finish. This is the green tea malt of Easter Ross.