K&L’s 40th Anniversary! Glenfarlcas 1967 & Teaninich 1973 Now in Stock – Scotch Whisky News
In what is likely to be the most-overlooked of the recently acquired Hunter Laing “Old & Rare” series, don’t let this 41 year old sherry cask of Teaninich fall off your radar. It’s one of the most pleasing, easy to love, deliciously decadent sherry aged whiskies we’ve tasted this year. While most people have never heard of the Johnnie Walker distillery, the name on the bottle is perhaps the least important aspect of this whisky’s quality, yet it’s completely relevant when determining the price. Simply put, if this bottle said Macallan 41 on the label we’d be slapping a five figure price point on the shelf. However, with similar sherry-aged flavors, sweet toffee richness, and single barrel concentration of flavor, the comparison isn’t all that far off. The sweetness of the sherry is still there even after 40+ years in the barrel. It’s robust, brimming with dessert-like qualities, but it’s not even remotely tired. It’s a beautifully balanced ride from front to back, meandering from maple donut bar to baking spices and cloves. $450 is a serious chunk of change in today’s whisky market, but considering the age and the quality of this Teaninich, we think it’s quite the steal. Our goal was to find a less expensive luxury whisky that delivered the highest possible quality for the best possible price. We think we’ve succeeded in that quest.
David Driscoll | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 29, 2015
Along with the Springbank, this whisky absolutely blew me away. But whereas with the Springbank I was impressed by what I expected to be the case, with this 41 year old Teaninich I was shocked by the quality I tasted in spite of my expectations. This whisky is an absolute sherry bomb that is still fresh as a daisy despite its four decades in wood. The oloroso flavors are still sweet, the spices are still lively, and the richness never at all dry or musty. It’s a complete curve ball. This is what people wish high-end Macallan tasted like after dropping $1000 or more on an ancient bottling. This is what I wish all high-end whisky tasted like.
When we visited the Hunter Laing office this past April, we were hoping to find something truly special as our hopes for cult distilleries like Port Ellen and Brora have long since dried up, or been crushed by the four-figure price tags. For us at K&L personally, Glenfarclas continues to be one of the most beloved and iconic producers we continue to work with directly. However, upon our last trip to the Highland distillery we were unable to find anything beyond 24 years of age that was available for us to purchase. When our friends at Hunter Laing said they might be able to bridge that gap with a bit of “Speyside’s Finest” they gave us a little wink and smiled wryly as sample was fetched. What we tasted that afternoon in Glasgow was simply unreal. An old school expression of ancient sherry, rancio, earth, spice, cocoa, fudge, and classic Glenfarclas grit that offered up a mouthful of true Speyside character. This whisky is nearly 50 years in age, bottled at cask strength, and unchillfiltered. Only 60 bottles were made available and supplies are limited to quantities on hand.
K&L Wine Merchants http://www.klwines.com/
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA
