Whisky Review: Signatory Vintage 30th Anniversary Teaninich 1983 Aged 35 Years

Style: Fruity, Complex and Spicy

Nose:
Cutting through the ethanol mist, we have a tantalising lemon aloe vera across the board. Hints of rosemary and cucumber floating on top of the sharp chilli which is piercing from the back. Some dried apricots and more lemon-citrus confectionaries as the sweetness expands. Kumquat and ginger candy beaming positively, the tone reverts back to the vegetal side as undertone of linseed, fried Spanish onions and maybe even a little garlic gradually surfaces. The aroma is elegantly rounded up and decorated with white floral rims. Very nice.

Palate:
Lemon aloe vera makes a gentle touch down onto the palate. Paraffin oil giving a beautiful waxy texture. Intricate and delicate vegetal notes (artichokes, tsaoko, mint and fennels) weaving in and stitching the expression together. Citrus confectionaries infused sago pudding with just a teasing vegetal-meaty touch. Absolutely delicious. Chilli spice sewed between the lines. Under the coat of almond skins sits a soft, taro-flavoured, earthy malt. Subtle passionfruit tail to finish.

Finish:
Tropical fruits tapioca, sweet potato soup, lemon candy agar agar and a little bit of digestive biscuits. Very soft and sweet.

Thoughts:
From memory this is a 1983 Teaninich at higher power. Relatively spicy, but in return it gives you higher “concentration” which translates into more substances and complexity. Despite maturing in a Butt, the sherry influence feels extremely limited, or it has entirely melded with the distillate to give a silky-fruity element to the expression. Overall, especially technically, it is an incredibly complete, well-matured and classy performance from this workhorse make. Excellent drop.