Review by: The Muskox

I’ve taken another trip to my local whisky bar. This whisky has stared at me from the menu ever since I went on my bizarre quest to try Teaninichs. As usual, this was dirt-cheap for a whisky this old.

---

Distillery: Teaninich.

Bottler: Douglas Laing.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 50%.

Age: 26 years. Distilled in December 1973. Bottled in November 1999.

Cask type: Unknown.

Price: N/A. $26 CAD for a pour at the bar.

Color: Deep gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

---

Nose: Oof, there’s a very pungent dankness right off the bat – mildewy wet laundry. Once you get used to that, the leading note becomes very fragrant and floral beeswax. Lots of odd old-floral notes – aloe vera, dandelion stems, honey candies, and pollen. Some maltier notes of graham crackers, wet barley, and Honey Nut Cheerios. A hint of soft nectarine and pear drifts on top, while subtle funks of Play-Doh and old boat sheds lurk beneath. Caraway seeds hiding in there too.

Palate: Very oily texture. Arrives softly and fruitier than the nose: unexpectedly delicate melon, pears, and plums, along with honey, cardamom, and grapefruit peels. Hints of coconut and waxed exotic fruits. It develops slowly to powerful beeswax, with that flavour completely filling the mouth. It’s supplemented by flavours of waxed wooden furniture, walnuts, barley sugar, a hint of a lactic tartness, and, possibly blasphemously, the Torah. No, I have never eaten a Torah, but this does taste like old parchment and dusty cabinets. Sacrilicious! A hint of seawater.

Finish: Medium-length. Huge beeswax again. Some of the mustiness from the nose returns in the form of that dank mildew-y note. More old books and lightly-tannic old wood. Lightly floral. Some Asian pear.

---

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Winnie the Pooh’s ass as a decorative wall piece”

Conclusion: I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy a whisky this much with a first impression of “oof”. That dankness on the nose did fade over time, but even with it, this was a fascinating and delicious whisky. I can’t get over the amount of beeswax here. This reaches wax levels higher than any Clynelish I’ve yet come across. Even the texture is ultra-waxy. If that were all this dram had going for it, it would still be extremely memorable. But there’s other complexity to be enjoyed here. For me, that pushes this over the top.

Please don’t eat the Torah.

Final Score: 90.

---

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)