A fruity journey with distillery exclusive Teeling whiskey
Have you ever filled your own bottle straight from the cask? I am in the lucky position to say that I indeed did. If memory serves me well, the very first time was in the distillery visitors centre of Glenfiddich in the summer of 2006. A few years later I repeated this, in 2011. By then, the practice had become more commonplace. Most popular in those days were the ones we could fill ourselves at the Glendronach Distillery. Nowadays, these 1993 vintages are worth an arm and a leg, but in those days just 80 or 90 pounds for the highest quality. Sadly, in the more opportunistic recent years, fill your own bottlings and the whole experience around it has turned from a reward for the touristic whisky visitor into a “cow to milk”, as we say in The Netherlands. Longer ago, making the journey via plane, car or ferry, and sometimes even all three, would be rewarded with a unique bottle for a decent price. Nowadays, after travelling through rugged Scotland, a bottle will cost you as much as two nights in a hotel, including breakfast and foot massage. Ah well. You can always decide not to. Maybe things will change for the better again.
While visiting Teeling Distillery in December 2022, I already knew they had impressive casks in the shop before I even arrived. In a blind tasting session, I was introduced to an incredibly fruity expression. I already decided that if the quality of the then available cask would get close to the one I tasted, I would go for it. The price was hefty indeed, but not so much to scare me off. So I bought two; one for sharing with friends, one for in the back of the cabinet for a special moment. Since I bottled my own Teeling on my birthday, it has because a dear memory. The whiskey itself? Well, I will tell you all about it, after a little warming up with another distillery exclusive Teeling.
Teeling 19 years old, Distillery Exclusive, bottled at 53,6 % abv
First things first: A Distillery Exclusive Teeling that was bottled in December 2024. Maturation took place in a Virgin Ash cask. Ash wood is known as one of the toughest hardwoods in the world, so one could wonder what effect it will have on maturing whiskey (it should not be as much as more regular oak wood used in the whiskey industry). Cask # 62483 produced 230 bottles.
Upon Sipping: Pale light golden colour seems to signal low interaction with the wood indeed. The wood imprint is very upfront on the nose, and it takes a while before the (Cooley, probably) spirit to come through. It is really a schizophrenic experience, this whiskey is split down the middle between the vanilla wood influences and the more fruity spirit. As if it had a hard time integrating. On the palate, the spirit seems to win the battle with nice fruity notes, rather sour, with white grapes and lemons. The finish has too much of the wood, with quite a load of spices. I am ready to not really like this Teeling, but a drop of water brings the much needed balance. More whiskey and less wood notes. The taste however reveals more of the wood infusion. I am sure this will appeal to bourbon drinkers
Word to the Wise: On the one hand I like the experiment, and it is nice to experience more exotic types of wood and its influence on spirit. For me, the outcome does not entirely work, even though you are still drinking a pretty decent whiskey here.
Score: 83 points.
Teeling 23 years old, Hand bottled at the Distillery, bottled at 49,3 % abv
First things first: Cask # 100040 was on display in the Teeling Distillery around the time of my birthday, late December 2022, where I took two bottles out of it, filled by my wife and myself. This is a full rum maturation. A similar version from a 1996 vintage I already tasted before and was nothing short of brilliant. (This one.) I hoped for the same with this one.
Upon Sipping: Not quite as fruity as the 1996 I referred to above, but it offers a more in-depth experience of the fruity whiskey and the interaction with the rum wood. Tropical notes of mango and pitaya mingle with gummi bear candy. The rum has a soft, almost earthen influence on the whole, but integrated beautifully. Sweet cigar leaf, I should try this with a cigar soon. On the palate, there is a sugary sweetness and brings out a lot more fruit. There is also a soft dry note that I link to the rum cask. I wish producers would start to disclose better what kind of rum casks are used for maturation. It matters. With water: more tropical notes emerge, or maybe just more intense. More wood spice on the palate now, but a delicate balance is maintained, contrary to the Virgin Ash for instance. The fruity spicy finish has something totally vibrant and lively to it.
Word to the Wise: It needs time to get of the line, but when the engine is purring like a kitty you are in for a delightful journey through the sunny islands of the Caribbean. The Irish whiskey plays very nice with the modest, humble rum cask. This experiment works.
Score: 90 points.