Teaninich Flora & Fauna 10 Year

The next stop on the SDT is Teaninich. For history on this Highland distillery, check out the review before mine. Thanks for doing the work for me! As part of Diageo's Flora and Fauna series, this single malt is bottled at 43% ABV and likely has added colorant, giving it a golden straw hue. At 43%, it's surely chill-filtered. The nose is somewhat light, but rich. Concord and white grapes, dark berries. A bit of a confectionary feel. Slightly nutty like pecan or hazelnut. Sherry notes, mostly figs and raisins. Floral honey, light lemon oil, green tea, and faint mint. A touch of coffee grounds with hazelnut and vanilla creamer. The palate is simultaneously sweet and bitter, but it leans more towards bitter. Pepper and very little oak, if any. Licorice, light sherry notes, nutmeg, and hazelnut. Orange oil and a hint of lemon. A malty taste but not overpowering. A medium-bodied mouthfeel that is dry but slightly creamy. The finish is medium long with tea, licorice, nutmeg, and nougat. I quite liked the nose. Not amazing, but good. The palate was a bit too bitter and lacked cohesion. I do appreciate the style, but it missed the mark. Not a complete failure, but more like a foul ball. Overall, it's not bad, and I can see its value as a blending component. A decent price at $55, but a difficult purchase at that price. I'd accept a dram if nothing better was available, but I wouldn't rush to buy it. 3.25, and thanks for the sample. Cheers.

Nose: Fresh, oily and sweetly fragrant with a light citrus fruitiness. As it sits, powdered sugar appears along with malty cereal aromas. A faint maritime hint is present in the background. Palate: The entry is sweet and light with a good mouthfeel - slightly oily but not quite creamy. The palate has little development. There are barley sugar and butterscotch notes and milky breakfast tea, then it shifts to slight bitter dryness but maintains a pleasing cereal quality like warm brioche. Finish: Short, sweet and bready. The nose strongly resembles Johnnie Walker blended whisky, especially Red Label, and for good reason. Diagio uses it to define the core aroma profile of their blends, which is a sensible approach as this whisky has a pleasantly forward floral nose but less on the palate. Teaninich is rarely encountered as a single malt, except in this 10 year old release and a few independent bottlings. Gordon & McPhail released an 8 year old expression a while back, and it was a pleasant, light whisky perfect for summer sipping. Ultimately, this whisky seemed more like a good quality light blend than a single malt. It lacks the personality or impact to capture attention. Still, it is well-made and tasting it was educational regarding the JW profile. I just wouldn't suggest rushing out to buy a bottle as it's better than average but nothing remarkable. "Above Average": 80/100 (3 stars)

Another week has crawled by, and I couldn't have wished for it to pass any slower. The week began with a high of 10 degrees Celsius. Work-related stress, as we all experience, and concerns about our aging family dog have been weighing on me. This week's pour is a sample provided by a friend, thanks to A friend provided a detailed history of Teaninich, referencing their research, this is the main whisky for JWR. (Review from 2018). The color is pale gold. A bright, fruity nose of apricots, white grapes, honey, and coconut. There's a creamy, buttery sweetness featuring caramel, confectionary sugar, and a hint of milk chocolate. A small measure of oak and the nuttiness of almonds and pecans are present. The palate offers a sweetness that isn't overwhelming and is somewhat fleeting. Honeyed tea, vanilla. The brief sweetness transitions to spice and bitterness. Red pepper flakes, fresh ginger, soy sauce with lemon oil, and oak. These flavors are delivered with a medium body. A slight tingle on the tongue in the finish gives way to nutmeg and oak. The lemon oil carries over from the initial taste and remains on the finish. This medium-length finish concludes with an oaky dryness. The nose is quite appealing and lively. However, what's promising on the nose doesn't quite deliver on the palate. It's not terrible, but the bitterness seems to detract from and roughen the experience through the finish. It's a dram I wouldn't refuse but wouldn't select first either. Thanks to my friend for the sample. [82/100][Tasted: 1/25/19]

I'm back to sampling pours from our final round of distilleries for the SDT, and this one comes thanks to a friend. Teaninich is a Highland distillery, and this is the only official bottling from the distillery itself – for the Flora & Fauna line from Diageo. Now, normally I'd try to give a little history and info about the distillery, like: it was founded in 1817 by High Munro, who occupied Teaninich Castle. It's been mothballed twice: from 1939-1946 due to WWII and again from 1985-1991 because of poor Scotch sales around the world. It's currently owned by Diageo and was remodeled in 2013, and... well, here's all I really need to say: Teaninich is the primary component of Johnnie Walker Red. It's champagne gold in the taster with oily and heavy water droplets running down all sides. The Flora & Fauna is 10 years old and bottled at 43% ABV. The nose has freshly churned butter, light florals, and weak oak tannins. The palate is rather harsh and lacking anything except mild butterscotch notes. The finish is medium with warm alcohol notes and not much else. Overall, it's the primary component of Johnnie Walker Red, so if you like that stuff, you'll love Teaninich. Otherwise, I'd look elsewhere... anywhere else. Thanks to a friend for the pour, let's score it and barrel on towards the finish. 2 generous stars. Cheers.

Minimal legs, but I doubt color was added. A very faint nose, but it's pleasant. Subtle woodiness, vanilla, ginger, lemon, tea, white grapes, and lots of floral notes. Unfortunately, it doesn't entice me for a taste as it's outside my usual preferences, but I'll try it. Palate is delicate, with an oily mouthfeel. Slight honey, sourdough, slight mineral, mint, very slight smoke and cream. Hmm, it's not bad, but it just doesn't appeal to me. I prefer more sherry or peat. The finish is long, buttery, and ends with more honey and orange rind notes, which are redeeming qualities. It's a bit of a rollercoaster. The theme will be the RHCP’s cover of “Love Rollercoaster” 2.5. I can see why it's primarily used for blends.

The packaging on this makes me hopeful for a superior spirit, and it is rather attractive. It has the color of early morning light. The aroma matches this visual with hints of pear, lemon flower, raw sugar, and citrus. The palate evokes a sea breeze and has a light malt character, with cinnamon and maybe cardamom appearing as I sip further. The end is flowery, a little spicy, and lasts a short to medium time. I would definitely purchase this bottle. It's a delicate Highland malt, but still valuable. Sadly, this small sample from The Abbotsford in Edinburgh might be the extent of my experience. It earns 3.5 out of 4 stars.