Origin: Dublin (Ireland)
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Wine
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Teeling Whiskey Company
Average price: € 230.00
Official website: teelingwhiskey.com
After a long absence, one of the most representative and vibrant distilleries of the Irish new wave returns to these pages, the one which brought whiskey production back to the republican capital.
Being able to draw from the rich reserves of Cooley, from which the father of the Teeling brothers was able to source several casks, the Teeling distillery is not new to presenting significant age statements that, for mere chronological reasons, are not produced directly by them, but whose final maturation has allowed for the creation of several interesting bottlings.
The fourth incarnation of the series, started in 2022, which this time sees the first eighteen years spent in ex-bourbon casks and the following three in unspecified white wine casks, with 6,000 bottles produced by the end of 2025 at the usual strength of 46%.
Tasting Notes
The fruit leads the aromas to the nose, white and tropical, featuring pineapple, peach, green apple, mango, and yellow kiwi, with citrusy incursions (mandarin) and candied notes (orange, pineapple, apricot). The second layer includes acacia honey, pastry cream, Jordan almonds, and peach tea, accented by a mineral vein with sulfurous traits. A dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon. A shifting scent, sometimes soft, at other times rough, and yet other times tart, with the constant minerality serving as a connecting thread. Intriguing.
On the palate, the acidic component takes the lead in the tasting, with fruit decisively shifting towards citrus (especially grapefruit), white grapes, pineapple, and currants, while the sweeter and softer aspects are relegated to the background, being evident only in length. Honey, pastry cream, white chocolate, and meringues are subdued but not negligible, partially balancing the wine-like traits acquired from the distillate. Ginger, nutmeg, and a hint of cinnamon frame the flavors. The wine profoundly marks the tasting, with a prolonged tannic dryness leading to vegetal and mineral undertones. More awkward than on the nose.
Finale quite long and dry, with distinct vegetal notes, white and tropical fruit, ginger, sugar paste.
Review: The final part of the maturation is very distinct, perhaps too much so, especially on the palate where the elegance of the aroma is edged with sharper tones, losing some pleasantness while maintaining a good complexity.
Vote: 85/100