Teaninich 2010 Cask #SC64 (The Firkin Whisky Co. Ltd.)

The Firkin Whisky Co. Ltd selected this Teaninich from 2010, drawn from cask SC64 and bottled at 48.9%. Set at Alness in Easter Ross, Teaninich has distilled since 1817. Fat copper stills add an oily texture to the clean, grassy spirit.

It was worked through the distillery's stills from a very clear wort, for the light, grassy, oily make Teaninich is known for. Maturation in a wine cask lent red berry and a soft spice. Carrying no age, it leans on cut grass, green tea and a soft citrus. A clean wort and a long ferment build the fragrant, green tea note. The Cromarty Firth nearby is one of few UK waters home to bottlenose dolphins. A long fermentation of around 75 hours builds the fresh, fruity notes. Filled spirit is tankered away to mature in Diageo's central warehouses. The name comes from the Gaelic for house on the hill, a nod to the old estate.

At 48.9%, undiluted, it is deep and grassy. The Port cask adds plum and red berry, and green tea, lemon and a soft spice sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. The mouthfeel is waxy, the citrus carried on a grassy body. A clean, gently waxy finish lingers. This is a Johnnie Walker workhorse from the Highlands.