STN: Teeling Irish Whiskey Rum Cask Finished

Received a sample recently of a great new whiskey from an old tradition: The Teeling family goes back to the 1700s as Dublin distillers, and the latest of the Teelings, Jack and Stephen, are now back in Dublin making whiskey---well, they're sourcing and maturing right now, but their distillery is on the way too.

Anyway, I was impressed by the Teeling Irish Whiskey Rum Cask Finished. Sorta like Reese's PB Cups, it's a combination of two good things that taste great together.

Teeling is one of the most distinctive whiskeys to emerge from the me-too business in some years, and its first modern offering is unique, Irish Whiskey with a different twist. With a dash of Irish cunning and what one suspects is a loving theft of and homage to the Scots behemoth of flavored single malts, the Rum Cask is unmistakable in its profile, and unequaled in its pleasure quotient. But rather than the Scots predilection for port, sherry and madeira barrels, Teeling selected a particularly rich and spicy Nicaraguan rum.

The result is a delicious and complex intermingling of flavors. There’s a smooth, silky texture wrapped around natural vanilla bean, crème caramel, toasty wood, tart citrusy liveliness, and tangy spices—think Allspice, or what the Jamaicans call pimento dram---followed by deeper flavors of toffee and chocolate, with a touch of heat from the 46% abv (92 Proof) bottling strength that gives it some authority and a bit of black pepper dust in the finish.

“But rather than the Scots predilection for port, sherry and Madeira barrels, Teeling selected a particularly rich and spicy Nicaraguan rum.”

Shouldn’t we add Bourbon barrels to that list?

Hoke one quick question about a “single barrel” spirit- does this truly indicate a “single barrel” or could several barrels of a spirit be vatted (blended) and then “re-barrelled”? (Thus referring only to the “final” maturation vessel). “Small Batch” seems a little more easily to describe-but then again what is meant by “small batch”?

Salute

“But rather than the Scots predilection for port, sherry and Madeira barrels, Teeling selected a particularly rich and spicy Nicaraguan rum.”

Shouldn’t we add Bourbon barrels to that list?

Hoke one quick question about a “single barrel” spirit- does this truly indicate a “single barrel” or could several barrels of a spirit be vatted (blended) and then “re-barrelled”? (Thus referring only to the “final” maturation vessel). “Small Batch” seems a little more easily to describe-but then again what is meant by “small batch”?

Salute

"Small Batch" means nothing, Victor. Has no legal or regulatory definition. It's a marketing term to imply small batch:good, large batch:bad. And it is entirely relative to scale. If a distiller makes millions of barrels of whiskey, and separates out, say, 500,000 barrels for a separate bottling run, that could be designated "Small Batch". If you were to purchase from the largest distillery in the US a tiny little portion of their standard run of rye, shipped it to your place in CA, aged it and bottled it, you could call your whiskey "Small Batch".

Single Barrel, on the other hand, does have a specific meaning. Single Barrel whiskeys are supposed to be the product of one single barrel of whiskey; the only thing added is distilled water to cut to desired proof. They are usually sequentially numbered, as in Bottle XXX of Barrel XXX.

Which leads to an interesting situation, akin to single vintage vs. blend of vintages, as well as single vineyard plus blend of sources. Four Roses has three standard offerings for their whiskeys: "Regular" (yellow label), Small Batch, and Single Barrel. All are good. I specifically relish the Small Batch; it's an exceptional whiskey, made from carefully selected individual barrels blended together for a specific style. I prefer it to the Single Barrel by quite a bit. More nuance; more depth; more textural difference; less tannin bite, and smoother, richer. To me. Others prefer the more forceful, more oaky, and less polished style of the Single Barrel.

The question then is: do you prefer a 'small batch' of selected barrels blended together for harmony or the results of one single barrel, whatever that happens to be?

Thank you Hoke!

Salute