This was the first bottling I got that was done by Michiel Wigman. Mr. Springbank, the embodiment of Dutch Whisky Connection, to me at least. To see a Teaninich bottled was something of a surprise, since it’s not a distillery that you see often, and new bottlers tend to go for stuff that’s easily available.

Of course, there’s a bit of street-cred to uphold if you attach your name to it, and it has to sit comfortably in what you’ve been selling as ‘your palate’ for more than a decade.

Anyway, Teaninich. 20 years old. Mostly blending fodder, but occasionally there’s a good single cask. Like this one.

Sniff:
Rather intense on the nose with slightly sweet notes of barley, and brioche. It takes a little while before it starts opening up but there are some green notes of grass and moss. It stays a little meadowy, if that is a thing. Barley, grass, some dirt, a tad dry too.

Sip:
The palate is rather gentle and light. Very consistent with the nose, but with the addition of black pepper. Barley, straw, grass, some oak. Some pear and white grapes. A dry texture, with some coarseness.

Swallow:
The finish is very consistent with the palate. A nice balance between the spirity notes of grass and moss, with the cask influence of light orchard fruits. Not overly long.

This whisky seems to have hit the sweet spot between maturation and spirit. Neither the cask nor the distillate trumps the other, and that is pretty awesome. It’s a very gentle whisky, which I think wouldn’t shine as bright on a festival than it does on its own. But this is a very, very good whisky. Highly recommended

90/100

Teaninich 20 years old, 11/1999 – 12/2019, 49.7%, ‘They Inspired I’ by Michiel Wigman. Available for € 162 through Dutch Whisky Connection.