Whiskey Review Round Up: Teeling Irish Whiskey

Light grain syrup leads into a cane sugar residual sweetness. Thin mouthfeel, with lemon curd, green apple and vanilla dominating the flavor profile. Final Thoughts: An interesting expression of Irish whiskey, the rum barrel finish enhances the inherent sweetness in Irish whiskey and complements the vanilla elements. The heat added by the (presumably) former Bacardi barrels doesn’t really do the spirit any favors though, creating an oddly sharp and unrefined drinking experience. I don’t often use “smooth” as a descriptor whiskey but a little softening around the edges would be appreciated here. This came across as simultaneously oversweet and hot. I could see this doing quite well in a mint or citrus forward cocktail, but I’d skip it as a sipper. Score: 3/5 Tasting Notes: Teeling Single Grain Vital Stats: Wine Cask Finish, 5 year aged, 46% abv, $45 Appearance: Dark Straw Nose: Vanilla, Cherry Cordial, Lapsang Souchong Palate: Dried cherries, cherry pit, cinnamon bark, tons of baking spices. There is a pleasant sweetness, minimal heat and a strong black tea and oak astringency with medium length, very dry finish. Final Thoughts: A very well done example of a wine cask finish, the extra tannins blend well with the spice forward palate. The flavor profile is almost reminiscent of Angostura bitters, in an exceedingly drinkable way. This is a perfect holiday dram and would make a great riff on a Manhattan. Score: 4/5 Tasting Notes: Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey Vital Stats: NAS, 46% abv, $60 Appearance: Pale Straw Nose: White Grapes, Vanilla, Toffee, Unripe Melon, Rich Toffee Palate: Pleasantly prickly mouthfeel with slight tannic drying. Loads of marzipan, asian pear, Melon Hi-Chu, and white grape soda. Fresh and fruity. Final Thoughts: A very pleasant, fruit forward drinker. The white grape characteristic is quite nice and it drinks like a pleasant summertime sipper. This would be especially nice in a highball or over ice. Not the most complex, but certainly a drier and more crisp expression than many of its kin. My favorite of the three. Score: 4/5