Review: Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Review: Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
If you’re unfamiliar with “single grain” whiskey, you’re not alone. While in fact the majority of Irish whiskey sold is grain whiskey, single grain whiskey is not typically seen on the shelf. (The single doesn’t refer to the type of grain but rather the fact that it’s made at a single distillery.) All grain whiskey is made not from barley (as in the case of single malt whiskey) but rather from a blend of grains, primarily corn.
Teeling Single Grain Whiskey is column-distilled from 95% corn and 5% barley at Cooley, and, unusually, it is aged fully in ex-California Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. No age statement (or other details on the specifics of the mashbill) are offered, but the spirit is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof.
The nose is exotic, offering thick menthol vapors along with some vanilla, butterscotch, and cake frosting notes. The body is even harder to pin down. At first the whiskey is mild and easygoing, then it develops some of the more traditional character of Irish whiskeys — touches of banana and coconut, salted caramel, buttered toffee, and honey. The grain base becomes more evident on the finish, a toasty, malty conclusion that is both a little unexpected but also surprisingly satisfying.
Update: Tasted again in March 2015; upgraded from B+ to A-.
A- / $71 / teelingwhiskey.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
$71
