Compared to the rest of whiskydom, I've never been too excited about Cooley distillery's output, nor do I find Bourdeaux's Sauternes to be a particularly thrilling match for whisky. But (SPOILER ALERT) this whiskey screwed all of that right up. I was informed that I had to try this, I tried it, and I am glad I did.
Bottler: Teeling
Series: Vintage Reserve
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: at least 24 years (though no vintage for the Vintage Reserve?)
Country: Ireland
Style: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: at least 24 years (though no vintage for the Vintage Reserve?)
Bottling date: August 2016
Maturation: Bourbon casks and Sauternes casks
Maturation: Bourbon casks and Sauternes casks
Outturn: 5,000 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(thank you to Secret Agent Man for sharing!)
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(thank you to Secret Agent Man for sharing!)
NOTES
Mangoes and peaches and mangoes and peaches and mangoes and peaches on the nose. Cherry lollipops, grapefruit and yuzu fill in the midground. A balance of industry, farm, mint and cucumber hold the background.
Here comes the palate's list. Lychee, loquat, mango, roses and honey. Something sturdy, earthy and herbal keeps it from getting much too pretty. After 30ish minutes, the mango and flowers subside and are replaced by Cara Cara oranges.
Sweet mangoes meet tart yuzu and lime in the finish. That slight earthy notes gives it some balance, even when the Cara Caras roll in.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
You may note the paucity of verbiage in this review, compared to that of Monday's Springbank. I tried the two whiskies side-by-side, gradually getting lost in this Teeling, while becoming more critical of the Springbank. The Springbank was indeed good. This Teeling is awesome. The palate and finish are merely great, while the nose remains stunning for well over an hour in the glass.
There is a through line between this and TWE's 26yo Green Spot, the fruit, the flowers, the hint of something darker, the casks that I didn't think would work. Though both of these lovely Irish whiskies are out of my price range, I do appreciate their existence.
