As
we approach St. Patrick’s Day, it seems timely to explore some Irish whiskeys.
My
history with Teeling Whiskey goes back about ten years. I was the
Whiskey Consultant for Vom Fass’s flagship store in Madison, Wisconsin,
and several independent bottlings of Teeling whiskeys were available. One of
them, Against the Grain, was my secret weapon whenever someone came into the
store and suggested they didn’t care for whiskey. I’d pour them a sample, and
it was a game-changer more often than not.
If
you’re not familiar with the Teeling family, you should be. Go back a few
generations to Walter Teeling, who started the journey back in 1792 in
Dublin. Teelings have been involved ever since. In 2015, John Teeling
purchased a formerly-state run industrial whiskey facility, installed a couple
of stills, and was known as the Cooley Distillery. Cooley wasn’t any distillery; it was winning
accolades for what it produced. It became so much so that in 2011, Beam
Suntory bought it.
You'd
be wrong if you thought that was the end of the Teelings. John’s sons, Stephen
and Jack, teamed with their first employee, Alex Chasko (its
Master Distiller and Blender), and opened the Teeling Whiskey Distillery
in 2015. It was the first new distillery in Dublin in 125 years. Because of
that, combined with laws governing Irish whiskey, anything with the Teeling
label before 2018 is sourced (and often Cooley distillate).
Today, I’m pouring Teeling’s Single Malt. It is non-chill filtered, naturally
colored, and weighs in at 46% ABV (92°). You can expect to pay in the
neighborhood of $54.99 for a 750ml package.
“Made with Irish Whiskeys distilled from 100% malted barley, matured and finished in casks that impart the influence of five wine casks (Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon). This Irish Single Malt Whiskey delivers a unique fruit-forward flavour profile that is complex, yet balanced and has often been described as “a symphony” of flavour.” – Teeling Irish Whiskey
I
procured a 50ml taster from a random liquor store. Let’s #DrinkCurious
and learn how this one tastes.
Appearance: I drank
this neat from my Glencairn glass. Inside, it looked like gold bullion. A
medium rim released sticky tears that barely moved down the side of the glass.
Nose: The
first thing I smelled as I brought the glass to my face was honeydew and cantaloupe.
Beneath those, I found vanilla, pear, citrus, apricot, and date. Peach danced
across my tongue as I inhaled the vapor through my lips.
Palate: A thin
but creamy mouthfeel offered almost exclusively sweet notes throughout my
palate. The front began with apricots, figs, and plums. The middle consisted of honey,
citrus, and pineapples, while the back featured clove and ginger.
Finish: Lemon,
apricots, figs, honey, wood tannins, and clove closed the show with a medium-long
finish.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I was
disappointed when I reviewed the Teeling Single Grain. The Single Malt more
than makes up for it. If you love fruity notes, this incarnation of Teeling
will bring a huge smile. There’s a lot of value here as well, and when everything
is considered, there’s nothing else to do but crown it with my Bottle rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
Had this in Dublin. Was perfect.
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