"The light music of whisky falling into a glass - an agreeable interlude" Part V
Sep 07 '06
The Bottom Line A four-star Scotch blend at a five-star price.
Teacher's Highland Cream Blended Scotch Whisky
I was a little dissapointed to discover that the Epinions database is lacking a few excellent scotches, among them Teacher's Highland Cream, a review which I am consequently placing under the How to Choose Scotch topic like epinioner 4-1-1 did before me.
I purchased a small bottle of Teacher's Highland Cream for two main reasons. The first is that I'm a sucker, and I'll try virtually anything carrying the designation of 'Scotch whisky,' especially when its priced so low that the risk to reward payoff is favourable – Teacher's certainly bears just such a price, making it almost irresistible (especially since its one of the few Scotches available in a 375mL/13oz. 'mickey'). But the second reason, and this is even more important, is that Teacher's Highland Cream is – in spite of the perhaps misleadingly small price tag – one of the most well-respected blended whiskies in the Scotch world. At $5 Cdn. less than even a bottle of the horrendous Johnnie Walker Red Label, Teacher's is a Scotch that consistently scores higher in tastings; higher not just than other bottom-shelf brands like J&B, Dewar's White Label and Cutty Sark, but of many whiskies carrying price tags of more than three times the cost of a bottle of Teacher's (which is, unbelievably, $22 Cdn. for 750mL/26oz.- less, even, than bottom-shelf domestic brands like Canadian Club, Seagram's V.O. and Crown Royal). Often, it's discussed in hushed tones, as if the company might catch on and reformulate their whisky so that it's just not that good anymore (or maybe those hushed tones are because these expert tastings are often coming straight from the notes of single malt aficionados).
Needless to say, in spite of my newfound respect for the quality of a good blended whisky and the uncannily difficult task carried out by Master Blenders, I was quite skeptical of these claims. No Scotch presented like Teacher's is – with no age statement, cheap price, and a plain label declaring it the “Perfection of Old Scotch Whisky” - could ever butt heads with the simplest of single malts or the middle-shelf of blends like Johnnie Walker. Perhaps it means that I'm not qualified to be penning these reviews, but I, once again, proved myself absolutely wrong. Though Teacher's could never claim to be a top-shelf Scotch (just a few off-notes in the nose and palate just barely prohibit it from such a claim), it can claim to be and certainly is a great middle of the road Scotch, that does – surprisingly – compete with many brands that are twice the price (chief among them Johnnie Walker Black Label; I've had to swallow my pride and downgrade my initial glowing review in light of the metaphorical Juggernaut of a blend that is Teacher's Highland Cream).
Teacher's is a fairly prominent name in Scotch whisky; according to some quick research, they are the 5th best-selling whisky brand in the United Kingdom, with a “strong position in the world market.” Curiously, however, the brand appears to have virtually no online presence – not only is there no official site for the brand (which was owned by Allied Domecq PLC until its 2005 takeover by Pernod Ricard SA), but there is also virtually no historical data about the blend or its history. In fact, aside from online stores, a few tasting notes, and a four paragraph blurb at ScotchWhisky.com, it's almost as though Teacher's nor its flagship product (do they even offer another product?) even exist. What little information there is, is rather spotty. According to ScotchWhisky.com, Teacher's was the handiwork of William Teacher, who established William Teacher and Sons to peddle the brand. His beginnings, however, were much less auspicious, which perhaps is what lends a certain integrity to this whisky that others are lacking. From age seven, Teacher worked in a cotton mill, presumably as a result of extreme poverty. In 1830, he was hired by a small grocer in Glasgow, Scotland and, upon marrying the grocer's daughter, he persuaded the firm to both sell wines spirits and expand into 'dram shops' – public houses with rules in place against loud conversation and buying rounds. Twenty years later, Teacher was the largest license holder for dram shops in the city, at which point he had also moved into wholesaling with his sons (remarkably similar, in many ways, to the three generations of the Walker family that made the striding man a household name), providing whisky blends for specific customers. When one of these blends became especially popular, Teacher and sons focused on it – registered in 1884, Teacher's Highland Cream quickly became popular in Scotland and export would follow soon in 1903, when the brand became available in the United States.
And yet the story does not simply end there, for Teacher's wouldn't truly become a household name until after World War I – during the Great War, the company voluntarily reduced sales of its whisky, in order to have a tremendous storehouse of whisky on hand when peace time came. This crafty approach, created a consistently rising demand for the whisky that would finally find the company establishing a modern blending and bottling facility in Glasgow in 1962 in order to keep up. This – perhaps somewhat sketchy – biography is essentially the only information to be found on one of the most prominent whisky blends in the world, a far cry from the media saturation of competitive brands like the aforementioned Johnnie Walker, Ballantine's, and Chivas Regal. I'd like to think that this ends a sort of old-time, down-home feel to the finished product, but I am perhaps deluding myself if I think that this is truly the case.
In any event, what about the whisky itself? Well, like the company itself, there's little to know – at least in regards to the contents of the bottle that one can't decipher from a careful nosing and tasting. Teacher's Highland Cream bears no age statement whatsoever and – as far as I know – has never published one. As a bit of a whisky snob, I imagine I would be horrified to find out in any event, and though we cannot find out an exact figure, we can perhaps make a judgment based on some similarly priced Scotch blends. Sadly, Famous Grouse and Dewar's White Label, the two whiskies closet in price likewise do not publish age statements. All we realistically can establish is that, since it bears the title of 'Scotch Whisky' it must have been aged for a minimum of three years – though Teacher's richness of flavour would lead me to venture a guess that Teacher's must include whiskies upwards of ten years old. What the company themselves say sets Teacher's Highland Cream apart from its competitors is its malt content. Generally speaking, malt whiskies are responsible for the majority of a whisky's character and depth of flavour, while grain whiskies round out the product and lighten it a bit – and while most blenders don't publish their ratio of single malt to grain whisky content, it is usually assumed to be somewhere between 15:85 and 40:60. Teacher's goes above and beyond the call of duty in this respect, explaining on each bottle that “Teacher's Highland Cream has an exceptionally high malt content – at least 45%, a feature which contributes to its unique character and flavour.” In terms of its constituent elements, the company likewise has little to say, though research suggests that two of its primary components are Ardmore and Glendronach, both Speyside single malts, both well-reputed though allegedly unspectacular whiskies (though I cannot personally comment). All this, however, should be secondary to the whisky itself, and this is certainly a whisky that far exceeds expectations.
Though the brand loses some aesthetic points for the simple bottles, you can hardly fault them, for this is an inexpensive whisky without pretensions of grandeur – and it is certainly a whisky that delivers in other areas. Teacher's Highland Cream pours into my snifter – perhaps unsurprisingly – a fairly light colour, indicating not just fewer years of maturation, but an apparent lack of finishing. It is perhaps, at it's darkest, the shade of a deep copper, with some lighter hints of deep gold or even amber. It also, however – and this is far more surprising – offers up substantial legs on the inside wall of the glass, which is especially notable since Teacher's is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume (for the Canadian market, at least; globally, it appears to be bottled and sold at 43% ABV). Gobs of whisky stick to the interior of the glass while smaller splashes trickle slowly down into the bottom of the dram. There is nothing particularly notable about this appearance, though, like I always say, whisky tends to look good as a rule.
The nose without a few splashes of water is, initially, is quite harsh and intense, though for the cheapest bottle of Scotch whisky you may ever be, it's actually fairly restrained (compared to Canadian Club, which is pricier, it's positively fragrant). Obvious smoke on the nostrils (best described as a faraway bonfire) is not especially strong, but noteworthy, as its the first element that makes itself known after the brief alcohol nose prickle. There is a certain oiliness in the nose as well, and perhaps some sort of chocolate fudge, but all of this is unfortunately accented by just a faint nail polish remover scent. Teacher's, however, benefits from sitting a few moments to open up a bit – the nail polish remover fades, replaced by fresh cooking apples (or perhaps baked apples), accompanied by a distant sour apple nose. Fairly malty, especially for a blend, with perhaps some elements of caramel or toffee odour that's distant, but just barely graspable. Also hints of a distant field of some sort, perhaps freshly cut grain. Perhaps a leathery note as well (which seems related to the brief nail polish remover nose), and the occasional nose prickle. Several more minutes still bring out a brown sugar note with just a hint of peanut butter, and gentle wafts of vanilla. Several nosings in quick succession offer an alternating view of apples, followed by gentle fudge. Teacher's certainly rewards a taster with patience, for its nose runs the gamut of notes over the course of nearly forty-five minutes. For a cheap bottle of blended Scotch, this is far and away above what I've expected – but it still gets better. Perhaps more than any whisky I've looked at in the past few months, Teacher's Highland Cream absolutely flourishes with a few drops of water (just a little more water than I might add to a more expensive dram). The water asserts the dominance of the brown sugar note, accompanied by the introduction of a quite sweet chocolate (a fluffy devil's food cake) character that goes along with the fudge note and accents it beautifully. The vanilla, likewise, becomes more aggressive, likewise does the peanut butter, accompanied by just a gentle tingle of citrus (curaco orange peel, I think, though I could be wrong) and licorice. Strawberries and cream. Grapes, especially some sort of wine-making grape. Apples still occasionally arise, but become secondary to the rich world of sweet flavours. This is absolutely mouthwatering and – initial nose prickle and nail polish remover notes aside – comparable with a number of whiskies I've had that were quite a bit more in price.
The palate, without water, is surprisingly smooth, offering little to no burn initially, though it does become a touch fiery toward the middle and the finish. Surprisingly vinous on the tongue, with an almost cider character in the feel of the drink. Obviously, there are more of the apples, gently accentuated by distant tendrils of smoke. Notes of sherry that I missed in the nose, some faint spiciness as well, especially toward the finish. Faintly chewy, with some indistinct fruit notes, especially dried and dark fruits (I'm think prune, possibly raisin). Fairly sweet throughout and pleasantly creamy, with a bit of licorice flavour and maybe even a hint of vanilla. The finish is remarkably smooth – perhaps almost too smooth. Though it leaves a gentle, woody, smoky, perhaps even peanut buttery flavour (with perhaps a bit more apple) upon swallow, the finish really fails to assert itself and last. The finish of a great whisky will often last for hours, but I find that Teacher's fails to really last beyond about thirty seconds at most (though the warming effect on the throat and stomach that all good Scotches bear is certainly there in spades). However, at $22 Cdn. a bottle, this is a mild complaint – and besides, some like their whiskies sans long finish. A few drops of water actually make the taste a bit spicier, and surprisingly also a bit smokier, with perhaps the odd hint of a distant wave somewhere. Remains quite vinous, but sweet, and definitely presents some of the characters of the smell, although they're accompanied by a bit of a dry graininess. A little bit of oak throughout, but more peanut butter and apple on the finish (which remains short, though becomes a bit smokier and with just a touch of licorice added). A solid, solid dram, this is, and at a price that blows even the most bottom-shelf of blends away.
I can offer only my highest praise for Teacher's Highland Cream, a whisky that I approached cynically, but came away more than placated by. It's a blend - and an absolutely amazingly inexpensive one - that offers a wide, sweet, delicious nose, and a refined palate that's both rich with flavour and remarkably smooth. Though it loses points for a few off notes here and there, and for its premature finish, it's a great alternative to more expensive drams - especially Johnnie Walker Black Label. While I don't know which of the two I'd pick in a blind taste test, I do know which one my wallet would pick every time. Worth a try, most definitely, this is a four-star whisky and a five-star price.
Related Reviews:
Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old Pure Malt Scotch Whisky
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Port Wood Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Balvenie 12 Year Old DoubleWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
Recommended:
Yes
Price ($US, 750 ml or standard size): 22 Cdn.
Spirit Rating: A must - sensational
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Epinions.com ID:
headlessparrot
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Bryan Jansen
Location: Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 175 members
About Me:
Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?
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