Teeling Single Pot Still Batch 1
The first Dublin distilled Single Pot Still to come out of the city in over 40 years and the first release from the stills of Teeling Distillery. 50% unmalted barley and 50% malted barley which has been triple distilled and matured in a selection of ex-bourbon, ex-wine and virgin oak casks. Bottled at 46% with no chill filtration. Release of 6,000 bottles and RRP of about €60.
Omar Fitzell Notes
Obviously young and fiery. Herbaceous, damp grass and some tree bark. Slight mint note with some green apples.
Palate:
Pear and melon notes with some digestive biscuit notes arriving soon after. Slight peppery spice. Some floral influence, maybe lavender.
Finish:
I expected it to be longer but it’s quite short. Coffee and maybe even the slightest chocolate note right before it’s gone.
Overall:
Bearing in mind that this is only 3 years old, it’s a good testament to both Teeling’s ability to distill and more so, to their cask usage and management. It’s young and as such some harshness is to be expected but like Dingle’s first release, it allows us to see what great things are coming hard and fast in Irish whiskey. One final note. If you’re going into this thinking it’s a Midleton SPS…it’s not. It’s uniquely Teeling which is great for diversity!
Al Higgins notes
Nose:
Juicy fruit chewing gum, quince, apricot, peach, muscat sweet wine and agave. There are some typical pot still spices albeit in the milder, softer style – ginger, cinnamon and mace.
Palate:
Softer and more palatable than you might expect. More of those juicy fruits along with some melon, apple pie, pear then some gentle gingery spice.
Finish:
Warm and spice laden but it never becomes harsh or bitter.
Overall:
One of the best of the new breed of Irish single pot stills. It’s hard to find any faults at all. I’d rather drink this than some of the ‘No age statement’ established brands out there.
Omar Fitzell
Omar has been lurking in the background of the Irish Whiskey Industry since 2010 when he started his journey through tasting, enjoying and collecting whiskey. In January 2018 he launched the online blog “That’s Dram Good” which, in those few short months, has become one of the most popular whiskey blogs in Ireland.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @thatsdramgood
• Facebook – ThatsDramGood
Al Higgins
Over 20 years of experience in drinks retail and a member of the team at the Celtic Whiskey Shop since 2003. Alastair is chief tester and taster at the shop and is also coordinator for the Irish Whiskey Awards. When he is not working he is either training for ultra-marathons, parenting or drumming with his band Le Galaxie.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @mostlydrinking