Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 614: Teaninich 8 Year Old Diageo Special Releases 2025

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a recent Diageo Special Release. Teaninich, founded in 1817, is located in Speyside, about 20 kilometres north of Inverness, near Dalmore and Invergordon. It mainly produces for blenders such as Haig Dimple and Johnnie Walker. What makes Teaninich unique is that it uses a mash filter instead of the classic mash tun. This allows it to process grains that are more difficult than barley alone, such as rye. And that is exactly what Diageo launched in its 2025 Special Releases: a Teaninich 8 Year Old Single Grain called Daring Rye.

https://youtu.be/1IpqmH8otsw

ralfy review 1146 – Ardnamurchan Tokaji cask @52%vol: (2026)

Signatory Macallan 18 Year Old, 100 Proof, 57.1%.

The VIDEO

Why would you ever pay more than £350 for a bottle of Macallan 18 Year Old when this is available? Signatory have been doing the Lord’s work when it comes to making Macallan more affordable and available.

A fully sherry cask matured Speyside (M) whisky that has been bottled at 100 proof, or 57.1% ABV.

The nose on this intoxicating and takes me back to my first ever experience of Macallan 18 Year Old. It’s drenched in chocolate orange, raisins, toffee, dark honey, and a whole host of sticky sweet things that we all started to love Macallan for.

Signatory need no additional praise from me, the love is there and it is strong across nearly all of their releases. This is a incredible point to access what is a great whisky without having to pay a premium for no particular reason.

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Ralfy Review 1145 Extras – skills in the purchase.

ralfy review 1145 – Tormore single cask 15yo @54.8%vol:

Benromach 12YO, 46%

https://youtu.be/ZPkDjxxBN1s

Are you ready for the ridiculous list of smelling and tasting notes I have written down for this:

Ashy peat smoke, plums, salted caramel, hot caramel sauce, croissants, butter, brown sugar, Chai tea, lemon oil, lemon zest, baked figs, grilled pineapple, mortadela, prosciutto, tarte tatin, apple pie, freshly made vanilla custard, bitter orange marmalade, creme de cassis, brown butter, hazelnut spread, chocolate orange, freshly made espresso, blueberries.

I think that’s enough. Honestly, what a bottle. What a price. What a distillery.

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The Good Dram Show – Episode 647 ‘Indie Whiskies’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at a selection of bottlings from Lady of the Glen, Signatory, Mossburn, House of Macduff, That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Little Brown Dog. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum Episode 647 – Starting & Ending With A Six..! Filmed in The Study Nottingham. Filmed & Edited by Chris Goodrum.

Featuring

Lady of the Glen ‘Rare Cask’ Lindores Abbey 2019 (6 year old) 60% www.ladyoftheglen.com

Signatory Vintage Small Batch Edition #4 Glen Garioch 2011 (12 year old) 48.2% signatoryusa.com

House of Macduff ‘Golden Cask – Reserve’ Tullibardine 2010 (11 year old) 55.9% houseofmacduff.co.uk

Mossburn Distillers #41 Royal Brackla 2008 (16 year old) 54.9% mossburnwhisky.com

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Canadian Whisky 8 year old 45.8% www.thatboutiqueywhiskycompan…

Little Brown Dog ‘A Dram For Banksy’ Ardnamurchan 2015 (7 year old) 61.1% littlebrowndogspirits.com

ralfy review 1143 Extras – Stuff about Clynelish scotch whisky.

ralfy review 1144 Extras – Distillery integrity = bottle competency.

Springbank 12 Cask Strength 56.6% 2026

The REVIEW

There isn’t much else to say, is there. Somehow I was able to get hold of this bottle for the first time in my life. I felt so honoured to have it that it only felt right to share it with other people at a tasting I ran in Manchester, and as you’d expect, it went down a storm. As a believer in the ‘bourbon casks are best’ policy when it comes to ageing spirits, I was so happy that this release was also 100% ex-bourbon cask matured. I wanted to taste that oily, funky, unusual thing that has made Springbank so famous all over the world, whilst getting the nuances of the style, too. No heavy fortified wines or sweet rums clouding that possibility. I love all casks, but this was a special experience. A marvellous whisky with a lot of potent presence and an almost cleansing level of spiciness.

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