Tasgall 30-year-old

Bought: ASDA, 4^th January 2017

Ratings:
76/100 – Whiskybase (average from 2 member votes)
4/5 Stars – ASDA Website (average from 3 reviews)

‘Tasgall’ was the name ASDA superstore gave to its own brand of blended whisky, which appeared on the shelves in 2014. I was one of the first to mention Tasgall on whisky forums, where it soon became apparent that there was very little interest in this new blend. Priced at £60 for the 30yo and £50 for the 25yo, the Tasgall was more expensive than similar bottlings by Aldi and Lidl, which may explain the lack of interest. Towards the end of 2016 the inevitable happened and ASDA labelled the Tasgall ‘reduced to clear’, first by £10, then by half. The Tasgall is no longer listed on the ASDA website. Discontinued? It looks very like it.

The official tasting notes for the Tasgall 30yo say “full bodied and velvety smooth with rich fruitcake, honey and oak tannin flavours enveloped in a vanilla sweetness with delicate spice and floral notes”. The blend is formed from a combination of Highland and Speyside malts mixed with Lowland grain.

Scoring 76/100 on Whiskybase is a reasonable score for the Tasgall 30yo but as a point of reference, all 6 versions of Lidl’s Glenalba blend score 81/100 or more. That’s the sort of competition the Tasgall had. Nevertheless, comments on the ASDA website were quite favourable including “very rich and complex” and “this is a sensibly considered product which will give a strong sense of luxury to anyone who usually enjoys a regular blended whisky.” Curiously one reviewer mentions “rich peaty undertones”, which aren’t in the tasting notes. A later review says “no hint of peat”. Perhaps batch variations sometimes included a peat flavour from the Highland malt element. Or maybe someone’s taste buds were playing tricks on them.

On the tube and label of the Tasgall 30yo it says “exceptionally rare”. Nothing that sits on a supermarket shelf for 2 years is exceptionally rare but now that it’s gone bottles will be getting rarer. As an obscure blend it is unlikely to make a good investment but if you were fortunate enough to buy one of the last bottles for £25 it should soon double its money at auction. But after commission, postage, etc., you’d be better off drinking it or giving it as a present to a blend lover. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.

Teaninich 30-year-old (SMWS 59.51)

Bought: Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), 16^th December 2015

Ratings:
84.5/100 – Whisky Bible 2016
89.33/100 – Whiskybase (average from 3 member votes)

I only had a miniature of Teaninich so I was interested in upgrading to a full 70cl. The SMWS had a tempting discount before Christmas so I decided to plump for this vintage 30-year-old. With only 140 bottles produced I wasn’t expecting to find it in the Whisky Bible but it was released in 2014, which provided plenty of time for a review. My incorrect assumption was that new bottlings by the SMWS sold out very quickly but that probably only applies to releases of the popular distilleries like Ardbeg, Macallan, Laphroaig, etc. Teaninich is more Partick Thistle than Celtic with regards to popularity. An acquired taste but entertaining nonetheless.

84.5/100 in the Whisky Bible classifies this dram as “good whisky worth trying” but two other Teaninich 30yo by the SMWS score 87/100 and 90/100. I’m feeling a little disappointed that the version I have isn’t one of the better ones in Jim Murray’s opinion. The author says about this whisky “no shortage of character. And one with some witty lines written for it. But this is about as outrageously salivating and eye-watering as you can find without really offering any depth of complexity. A tart blending malt essentially. But one which has it’s moments in the spotlight.”

89.33/100 on Whiskybase is a fantastic score albeit from only 3 voters. Interestingly the two bottles Jim Murray ranks above it with 87/100 and 90/100 score 88/100 and 89/100 on Whiskybase, which is less than for my bottle. All are excellent marks and show that the SMWS team have a good palate when it comes to choosing a Teaninich cask. A very worthwhile dram!