Impression // Teeling St. Patrick’s Day Distillery Exclusive Masterclass + “Wonders of Wood” Cherry Cask Finish

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, in the middle of the week! In 2021! In a time when pubs are still closed and tastings have to be organized digitally! But that didn’t ruin the fun I had last Friday night when I was treated to a Teeling masterclass, featuring 3 distillery exclusives, two Irish beers, and a very special sneak peek at an upcoming release! This is a celebratory blog update!

Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © Teeling

Last Friday, I attended the Teeling St. Patrick’s Day Distillery Exclusive masterclass, which was led by Teeling Global Brand Ambassador Robert Caldwell, Master Distiller Alex Chasko, Operations Manager Iain Wood and special guest Brian Brody, who is a cherished for his performances of Irish music, both classic and new-make. (See what I did there?)

During the tasting, we enjoyed a couple of distillery exclusive whisky samples (Hungarian Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Irish Oak) and two beers that are collaborations between the Teeling distillery and the Irish Dot Brew brewery. I also received an additional treat, namely a sample of the new “Wonders of Wood” Cherry Wood cask, a 15 year old single cask release.

The beers were delightful, with “Green With Envy” as a starter of the evening. A Pale Ale, aged in Irish Single Malt Ex-Calvados white port barrels that were used for their Brabazon 4 release. Nice and crisp, fruity, fresh, and a perfect way to warm up the palate. At the end of the tasting session, we tasted a blend of imperial oat stout and Irish red ale aged in bourbon and finished in the casks that previously held the peated whiskey “Blackpitts”: “Rising From the Ashes”. I sure hope I can visit the distillery this year. I’d love to grab a beer and a whiskey!

For this impressions article, I started from scratch, even though I had tasted the distillery exclusives before. I figured that, as my palate has definitely matured since I last tasted those impressions, I’d dive in without any presumptions. That was a good idea.

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)

Thirdly, 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)

As an extra treat, Chris Hayes arranged for a sample of the next “Wonders of Wood” release, which is a Cherry Wood single cask finish. This series evolved from the small batch collaborations towards a variety of wood casks experiments. As the Irish whiskey industry is not as limited as the Scottish whisky industry, there is more room for cask experimentation. And that’s a good thing for us lucky whiskey drinkers.

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.

I 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.  

Note: I attended this masterclass because I was invited, but you can attend these digital tasting sessions too! Teeling is organizing masterclasses on a regular basis now (once a month, if I remember correctly), and the next masterclass (Easter edition) will offer a pairing of Teeling whiskey and chocolate, with Chris Hayes, Robert Caldwell, and the renowned Irish pastry chef Darren Hogarty (1st of April). Later this year, Teeling is also celebrating their hugely successful and award-winning releases with a “The World Best” masterclass (15th/16th of May). Check the Teeling website for more information, or follow them on their social media outlets.