Tasting Teaninich

This is an unusual dram in that it does not appear on store shelves in an official bottling. The good folks at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society have bottled quite few of this neighbor to Glenmorangie and Dalmore over the years. Bottling 39 from Teaninich is given the playful name "Gateway to Narnia," though for the life of me I can't figure out why. This 16 year old from a refill ex-bourbon hogshead is pretty robust, weighing in at 59.7% alcohol by volume. The color is copper gold and it has a strong, but light alcohol smell. The alcohol is hot, hot, hot on the tongue when undiluted, but the nose is less powerful. The nose brings paint thinner, some green vegetal smells, perhaps lighter herbs. With water it gets old cardboard boxes, light charcoal, Skor bars and a bit of a Canadian whiskey lightness. On the tongue the water turns it to a chewy, tannic dram with filberts and maltiness. An interesting dram, but not a stunner.