Teaninich 19 Years Old 1999 Cask #HL 17090 (Old Malt Cask)

Bottled by Hunter Laing, this Teaninich, a 19 year old from 1999, drawn from cask HL 17090 and bottled at 50%. Just 284 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. It was founded by Blind Captain Hugh Munro, a Napoleonic veteran, on his Teaninich estate.

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. At this age it is rounded and oily, the grass folded into a honeyed, waxy body. The light, oily make takes cask character well across maturation. The River Averon runs beside the distillery on its way to the firth. A long fermentation builds the fresh, green fruit the blenders prize. A 2013 expansion added a new six still house, more than doubling capacity.

Bottled at a cask strength 50%, it is rich. Green tea, lemon and a soft spice sit alongside soft vanilla and honey from the cask. A green fruit and a gentle oak give it depth. A clean, gently waxy finish lingers. This is a Johnnie Walker workhorse from the Highlands.