Tag Archives: teeling

Teeling Single Grain Whiskey Review

Distiller: Teeling. ABV: 46%. Age: five years. Price: $40.

As we’ve gone through this Axis of Whisky experience, I continue to be amazed by the stories behind the whiskies. Whether it’s a legend of a great uncle once removed who ran a moonshine still for Capone, or the rich history of Islay, most of my favorite pours have a great story behind them.

And it’s only fitting that the stories should be good, because whisk(e)y is meant to be sipped with friends while you debate the weighty issues of the day. Or at least bring those friends a little closer.

Dublin’s Teeling Distillery gets this as well as anyone. The story behind the distillery and its master distiller Alex Chasko is a ripping yarn, one that I’ll lay out in detail in a future full-length piece.

But the stories don’t matter if the drink doesn’t stand on its own.
And brother, does the Teeling line stand on it’s own. I’ve been drinking the Single Grain recently, and maybe it’s the American Oak and Cab Sav barrels they use to age the juice, but this and the Single Malt stand alongside Green Spot and Yellow Spot in my class photo of great Irish whiskies.

The Single Grain has a caramel-y nose that offers up vanilla, almonds, and spice around the edges. The palate is where this one really sings for me. There’s a nutty base to it, one that balances out lashes of toffee, vanilla, apricot, and loam. The finish is delightfully sustained. The caramel makes an encore appearance, along with dried apricots and dark cocoa.

These guys are doing some great stuff and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. Sláinte, friends! – TM

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey Review

Producer: Teeling. Distiller: Cooley. 46% ABV. NAS. Price: $40.

I was a touch apprehensive on this purchase, given some early disappointments with Irish whiskies. But the Teeling Small Batch is surprising in all the right ways.

Teeling is a young distillery, opened in 2011 by brothers Stephen and Jack Teeling. Interestingly, it was the first new distillery to be opened in Dublin in more than 125 years. For now, the Teeling brothers are maturing and bottling old stocks from their father’s Cooley Distillery while they get their own production up and running. They’ve already got a good thing going.

The Small Batch is the producer’s flagship offering, alongside which they’re selling a Single Grain, Single Malt, and a series of old (21+ year old) single malts in their Vintage Reserve line.

This Small Batch is non-chill filtered, and was bottled in May 2014 after six months in a rum cask.The nose brings brown sugar, citrus, and toffee. The palate blooms from brown sugar to citrus to oak, and the finish is tannic and just a little rough around the edges.

All in all, a very nice treat. Looking forward to more from the Teeling brothers soon! – TM