In the next couple of whiskey posts I will reviewing a few (read: all) of the expressions currently bottled by the Teeling whiskey Co. I guess an intro is in place in case you have not heard of it, or you’re not well acquainted with their story.
Basically Teeling whiskey is managed by Jack Teeling who used to be the Master Distiller of Cooley distillery (I’m quite sure you know Cooley, right?). Apparently the Teeling family has a long history of whisky making dating back to 1782, when they distilled whiskey in Dublin. Teeling does not yet distil any whiskey, but operate more as an independent bottler buying stock from Cooley (both new make and old stocks) and bottling it on its own, but they did announce plans to invest quite a lot of money and open a new distillery in Dublin, the first after 125 years, that is supposed to happen in 2015. In the meantime they have been bottling some tasty whiskies, we’re about to start exploring pretty soon, starting today with the lovely 21 year old.
This 21 year old whiskey was distilled back in 1991, triple distilled (Irish whiskey, right?) and then aged in ex-bourbon casks, and finished in Sauternes wine casks, at an undisclosed distillery.
Teeling Silver Reserve 21 Year Old 1991 Single Malt, 46% abv,£123
Nose: Feels exotic and a bit peaty at the same time. Intriguing! Ripe melons to start with , as well as peaches and sticky lychee in sweet syrup. Vanilla and a wee citrus note too. further nosing reveals some pepper and a hint of wax and mint.
Palate: Mint leaves. Papaya , bananas and red grapefruit. Quite spicy and peppery too. For that abv there’s a lot of flavour. A hint of that earthy peatiness creeps in too. The big fruity entry gives way to softer leafy kind of finish. Grapefruit pith maybe too.
Finish: Peat, pepper. Earthy leaves and drying oak.
I did not really know what to expect from this one, and was very much surprised by how rich , complex and lovely this whisky is. Very impressive.
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