Collection // Teeling 2021 Sample Sets
Aaah 2020, the year during which whisky brands were scrambling to organize online tastings in order to satiate the cravings of millions of whisky aficionado's all around the globe. Then came 2021, and there was a bit of a fatigue among the whisky crowd. Another tasting session? A presentation that is streamed? Whatever… But not so at the Teeling headquarters. So far, I attended a couple of highly enjoyable online tasting sessions, focusing on St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and even a “Best Irish Whiskey” masterclass. Here’s a summary of the samples I tasted at these various sessions, all brought together splendidly for your consideration! Enjoy, be inspired, and go get a bottle for yourself!
Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © Teeling
Single Pot Still (46% ABV)
If you haven’t had the chance to taste the Single Pot Still expression (46%), I suggest you just call your nearest whisky shop, ask them to put it aside (if they still have it), and go buy it at your earliest convenience. This whiskey is possibly the corner stone of the brand, and it’s incredibly accessible while at the same time still rewarding for more experienced whisky enthusiasts looking for something more.
In the nose, there are only slight hints of alcohol, but plenty of citrus and grape. I also picked up on stewed fruits and honey. The dram offers up a lovely oily mouthfeel, and the palate consists of a blend of sweet tropical fruits and flavors of spices, pepper, and peaches.
Single Grain (46% ABV)
The Teeling Single Grain is a 46% ABV whiskey which has matured on Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks. It’s pleasant in the nose, offering vanilla and spice, but also a floral note. On the palate, sweet and honey-like, with a bit of creaminess.
Hungarian Oak Finish (46% ABV)
For the Hungarian Oak release, I picked up a couple of interesting scents: a bit of plaster, a spicy/peppery note, but also thick in the nose. Some unripe pear, with a bit of buttery vanilla sponge cake as well. There was a sharp note as well. And then, inspired by the cheerful ambiance of the other attendees, I had a vision of a warm, sun-lit attic: the smell of the wood beams, mixed with some dry wall. It smelled exactly like ‘upstairs in my parents’ house in the 90s’. I’m sure you can imagine…
The texture of this release is best described as ‘very soft’, which was surprising, as the scents were rather ‘heavy’ in the nose. There was a familiar sting at the center, however, which moved on to a slightly bitter note, and a certain dryness as well, dancing around with a delicate sweet flavor. There were some wood notes, and some floral tones as well. Very versatile!
The finish, to me, was medium-long and rather dry. A fun release, in my opinion!
Chinkapin Oak Finish (46% ABV)
I had a very different tasting experience in the Chinkapin Oak release, with scents that moved more towards subtle gingerbread spices, warm ginger, but also sweet and toffee-like, which blended together in what I call ‘nordic gingerbread biscuits’. Again, a very specific scent that most of you probably won’t be familiar with, but hey, that’s what I’m getting.
On the palate, a very soft and gentle liquid, sweet, with notes of molasses and burnt sugar. Lighter than the Hungarian Oak release, and less sticky too. There were some wood notes too.
The finish is shorter, and with more of a tingling sensation on the lower gums.
Virgin Irish Oak Finish (46% ABV)
Next, an expression that, at least in my nose, smelled of ready-made cookie dough, buttery in nature, with some chocolate sprinkles but a green note as well. There was a little bit of a sour touch in there as well, but ever so slightly. I also got a ‘grape jelly’ vibe. My olfactory senses are all over the place, it seems.
On the palate, a flavor that I would describe as ‘warm milk with a teeny tiny spoon of chocolate powder’, but also the same sour note as in the nose, like a gentle dry cider. The texture was a little bit thicker than water, and the finish was on the drier side, but subtle and drawn-out.
“Wonders of Wood” Cherry Wood single cask Finish (15 y/o, 57.1% ABV)
Bottled at 57.1% ABV, this 15 year old single cask whiskey was matured on an American bourbon cask base, with a cherry wood cask finish of a little more than 3 years. Cherry wood is actually an American hardwood, mostly used for furniture. The casks that Teeling was able to use, were made in a cooperage in the French Cognac region.
In the nose, I got scents of raisins, prunes, some Turkish Delight, and a certain kind of dryness I can’t quite pinpoint. Is it like varnish? Maybe. I’m not sure. The thing that I liked the best about this release, was the way it lures you in. It’s heavy on the nose, almost hypnotic. You are almost going down the stairs towards the basement bar, decorated in heavy curtains. There’s oriental music playing, and people are speaking in hushed voices. You want to explore further, but you know you should take your time.
I got a bit carried away just now, sorry about that. On the palate, I got a full-bodied whiskey, a bit thicker than water, with an edgy bitterness, and even some spice that reminds me of a rye whiskey. It’s a bit on the grainy/malty side as well, and the liquid is rich, creamy, and heavy, with plenty of red fruits on offer. The finish is long, but surprisingly delicate.
Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple (49.2 % ABV)
Next is a small batch collaboration between Teeling and Plantation Rum. This expression has been matured on ex-bourbon barrels for 6 years and an additional 15 months on Plantation Pineapple Rum casks.
In the nose, pineapple, of course, but also notes of funky rum and even a feint cured meat note. There’s also some toffee and a bit of lime. The flavors start off nice and soft, silk-like, with a bit of burnt pineapple and the same cured meat that I had in the nose as well. This expression also releases some spices right at the end, together with a warm sensation that drifts out into a medium-long finish.
If you’re wondering what the spirit equivalent of an Irishman in the Caribbean would be, well, this comes very close.
Blackpitts Peated Single Malt (46% ABV)
Perhaps one of the most anticipated core range releases from Teeling in years, this peated single malt does not disappoint. Teeling’s first peated whiskey is triple distilled, about 4 years old, and matured in both ex-bourbon (2/3) and Sauternes casks (1/3). This expression is named after the old Blackpitts area behind the distillery, and has a very close link to the history of the immediate surroundings of the distillery. The peat, however, comes from the Speyside region in Scotland.
At 46% ABV, the whiskey needs to open up a bit first. After it has been in your glass for a bit, the first scent that is noticeable is sweet, but it is quickly followed by BBQ charcoal, and even a bit of malt. There’s even a bit of salt in there. All in all not that peated, but light and delicate in nature. After triple distillation, the original 55 ppm is reduced to 15 ppm.
The flavors continue in the same way as the scents, but move towards a playful sweet and savory note, mixed with light smoke, red fruits, and a ‘dark’ element that I figured out after a while: soot. It is rather soft and liquid-y in texture, and the finish is on the ‘shorter side’. You could describe it as ‘peated whisky for non-peated drinkers’, but it would be safe to say that this is more of an Irish twist on a peated single malt.
28 year old Single Malt (46% ABV)
Finally, a power-house whiskey. Matured on Sauternes and Bourbon casks, this 28 year old single malt expression is an absolute privilege to sample (only 4,000 bottles were produced). This whiskey predates the rebirth of the Teeling distillery, so it has to be considered as ‘a glimpse of a carefully curated past’.
Before I’ve even poured my sample in the glass, I’m picking up the scent of Red Strawberry Licorice Laces, blended with a nutty element, some vanilla, and even a wet earth note. I even caught a hint of marshmallow (the white and pink kind). Cut that with some unripe apricots (or peaches, I always get confused) and a bit of toffee, and you’ve got a blend of scents that promises full satisfaction once combined with tasting the dram.
Speaking of which, the flavors are a lovely continuation of what I was smelling. The peaches (definitely peaches now) are noticeably more present, and I’m also getting some very floral honey, together with a pinch of saltiness and spices. The finish is a drawn-out offering of warm ripe peaches (or nectarines?) and is definitely delicate in nature.
