Teaninich 18 Years Old 1984 Cask #5946 (Ian Macleod)

This is a Teaninich single malt, from the independent bottler Ian Macleod, an 18 year old Highland malt from 1984, drawn from cask 5946 and bottled at 59%. Only 642 bottles were released. Teaninich, founded in 1817 by a Napoleonic veteran near the Cromarty Firth at Alness, is a key malt of Johnnie Walker. It is the only Scotch malt distillery to mash through a mash filter rather than a mash tun.

Distilled on Highland spring water through fat copper stills, building the light Highland style blenders prize. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the grassy malt. Mid age brings a deeper honey and a riper green fruit. The unpeated spirit lets the wood and the green fruit speak without smoke. A hammer mill and mash filter, installed in 2000, replaced the traditional mash tun. That ultra clear wort is the source of Teaninich's fragrant, green tea grassiness.

At 59%, undiluted, it is deep and grassy. Sherried dried fruit and a nutty edge come through, and grass, pear and a gentle wax meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. The mouthfeel is waxy, the citrus carried on a grassy body. The finish runs fresh, green and oily. This is Teaninich's clean, grassy Highland style.