Review: Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey Phoenix Legends #1 24 Years Old
With this new single malt whiskey, our friends at Dublin’s Teeling celebrates something I would not have immediately expected: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first consensus National Championship in 1924. Teeling notes that in that year, Notre Dame outscored their opponents 285-54 and went 10-0. The team’s game against Army on October 18, 1924 was a major upset, and is considered one of the all-time great college football games.
So: Fighting Irish, we get it!
This whiskey, Phoenix Legends, is a whopping 24 years old and is finished in casks that held Rivesaltes, a fortified French wine. It’s the first of three planned whiskeys that will celebrate Notre Dame football. USC fans, look away!
Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey Phoenix Legends #1 24 Years Old Review
As for the whiskey itself, well, I can say it is worthy of a championship of its own. The nose is a standout, immersing the consumer in notes of spicy gingerbread, raisins, grilled pineapple, and layers of baking spice. It’s quite effusive — far more expressive than the typical glass of Irish — showcasing an aromatic depth that we rarely see (at least outside of Teeling’s regular special editions). Time in glass allows a note of cedar to build, a touch of the original barrel perhaps showing its face.
On the palate, I’d argue the whiskey is even better: the fruit positively explodes on the tongue and offers up a powerful blend of dried berries, more sweet pineapple, and notes of fresh raspberries. The burst of fruit doesn’t readily let up, though it eventually makes way for touches of vanilla and coconut. The finish clings to fruit cocktail while exuding that distinctly Irish quality that I always equate with toast slathered in honey. The catch is that said finish is all but unending, coating the palate in ways that I have rarely experienced and which, ultimately, evokes for me a supple Cognac.
Absolutely stellar. I say you should get one no matter what college you went to.
92 proof. 1000 bottles produced.
A / $1000 (700ml)
Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey Phoenix Legends #1 24 Years Old
USD1000
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