Teeling Small Batch Review
In-Depth Review
Teeling is proud to tell you that they are the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years. And while that may be true, Jack and Stephen Teeling are no strangers to whiskey. With their family heavily involved in the founding of another famous Irish distillery - Cooley distillery - the brothers decided to chart their own path and bring whiskey distilling back to Dublin. This new Teeling Distillery was opened in 2015, and has been leveraging a combination old stocks from Cooley and new in-house distillations to create some of the most exciting new whiskies to come out of Ireland in years.
Having visited Teeling Distillery while in Dublin back in 2018, I was excited to jump back into their Small Batch offering. And finding it for under $25 at my local Total Wine made it a no brainer. Even though this is their entry level whiskey it boasts some impressive specs: 46% ABV, non-chill filtration, and a second finishing in Central American rum casks. Is it really possible to pack all of that successfully into a whiskey for under $25? Let’s dive in and see if they have really pulled off a miracle.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 46%
Cask: Ex-bourbon casks and finished in rum casks
MSRP: $28
Distillery Name: Teeling Distillery
Review Date: 10/8/21
Color: Light Straw
Nose: The nose starts off with delicate white Gardenia flowers and fresh rain. There is a touch of candy sweetness, but it’s nicely balanced by a rush of grain notes. There’s a hint of rum cask with darker molasses influence hiding in the background, but it never leaves the shadows. Overall, this is a soft and delicate nose that seems to leave a lot of the palate to the imagination.
Palate: The front of the palate is light and refreshing with notes of spun sugar, honey oats, shortbread, and malt. As it moves to the back of the tongue, more of the darker rum influences shows up in light brown sugar, raisin, and light plums. The mouthfeel is lovely, with its 46% ABV and non-chill filtration leaving a nice velvety cream feeling that punches significantly above what a $25 whiskey is expected to deliver.
Finish: Medium length finish with more toasted dark sugars, honey, and a building heat. The heat builds quickly as it’s easy to drink this whiskey fast. As the end fades out, more butterscotch and toffee comes through, leaving an open invitation for another sip.
Final Thoughts: Teeling Small Batch may be the best entry level Irish whiskey out there. While never super complex, it has enough great qualities to keep even a seasoned whiskey enthusiast engaged. In 2021 it’s hard to believe that you can find an Irish whiskey for around $25 that boasts a 46% ABV, secondary cask finishing, and non-chill filtration. It’s clear that Teeling cares about the enthusiast community. They aren’t trying to beat Jameson at their own game. Instead, they are carving out a niche of fervent followers with excellent limited releases and impressive entry level offerings that deliver exactly what the modern whiskey enthusiast is asking for. It’s easy to like what Teeling is doing and their Small Batch expression has me smitten.
