20/04/2026 Teaninich

Teaninich 23yo d.1972 (64.95%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#1323): nose: would it spoil the surprise for anyone to say it is a brute? This has the same effect as being hit on the olfactory organ with a lead pipe. Dust, metal filings, old zinc gutters, oxidised copper basins, Verdigris-riddled brass. It really takes a moment to see past that block of metal. Then, it has roasted apples and quinces, crunchy kakis and stepped-on dog faeces smeared across the concrete pavement. It probably reads horrid, but is actually rather intriguing. Also, it is but fleeting and soon makes way for prunes and dried currants. Let us be honest: that is much more appealing. It retains a metallic austerity, mind, and those dried fruits are presented on a zinc plate. The second nose welcomes old walnut and hazelnut shells splashed with a mix of pressed greengages and WD-40. There may even be a spray of furniture polish, which seems to replace the metallic shenanigans until one shakes the glass vigorously. Water calms it all down and allows juicy fruits to the surface: grapes, plums, greengages, stewed Galia melon. It is still warm, no longer frighteningly so. Mouth: 'burning' would be the wrong word. It is numbing, first and foremost. One could, again, compare it to being hit in the kisser by a lead pipe. Only when the numbness of the shock recedes does one realise the pain. Chewing brings out more metal (lead, zinc, galvanised iron, corroded brass), with only a discreet fruity touch to balance things out a little. Prunes in syrup, rehydrated currants, decaying greengages turned sour. We find very-dry lichen too that adds a gentle bitterness. And, to be clear, the fact it is gentle may be because it is smothered by the alcohol. The second sip offers a far more-perceptible bitter touch, somewhere between walnut stain , greengage stones and nut-tree sap. That is, once more, balanced by a timid fruitiness (rum-soaked sultanas). It still has a metallic note, but that is a far cry from the nosebleed we experienced initially. It is now limited to a metallic drinking vessel (pewter or zinc). Water turns the palate into a gentle green-grape juice, not even that concentrated or fruity. It is a lot sweeter without being sugary, and, well, an easy sipper. Finish: huge, it has stewed walnut flesh (talking about the fleshy fruit, not the nut at its core), prune stones, poached quinces and, surprisingly, much less of the afore-mentioned metals. That is confined to silverware (made of real silver) used to eat those fruits. The tongue and palate are left as numb as if they had been smacked with an oxidised silver spoon, yet little zinc or lead to note, if any. In the long run, we do find walnut flesh again. The second gulp cranks up the fruit: baked apples, quinces, kakis and Korean pears so hot that they cauterise the roof of the mouth and leave it throbbing. A lukewarm oxidised spoon is then applied to cool off the burn, which leaves -- you guessed it -- a metallic taste in the mouth. The addition of water gives us syrupy barley wine, as well as pressed peaches and plums augmented with a drop of cold jasmine tea. Interesting how water tames this beast, rendering it almost too meek. Very good drop with or without water. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)