I've Got a Teeling (Woo Woo)

 You'll have noticed fewer posts on here recently and perhaps you're missing regular whiskey reviews? Fear not as (along with this post) another two whisky tastings are coming up before Christmas. Despite living in Ireland I've tried very few Irish Whiskeys (Bushmills, Jamesons and Connemara). This is something I shall need to rectify in the next few years as there's a new wave of distillers coming online, especially if they produce anything anywhere near the standard of last night's whiskey. 

The whiskey in question is the new single malt from Teeling, a new Dublin based distiller. This particular whiskey bears no age statement but its component parts are well travelled having spent time in five different casks: Sherry, Port, Madeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and White Burgundy* and are up to 23 years old.  These have come together to produce an excellent sipping whiskey (46%, non chill-filtered) at a very reasonable price (Just under £40/ €50).

It pours an attractive pale copper, with fairly viscous alcohol legs up the sides of the glass. On the nose at first fruity oaky some butterscotch up front with an underlying Turkish delight and peppery notes.

On warming it starts to gain some melon and banoffee pie hints, its a complex beast! The same is true in the mouth really full bodied, with sweet sultanas, meaty sherry like umami notes, sandalwood, caramel, butter, a growing saffron spiciness and of course vanilla notes from the wood. Its fairly fiery and warming, but as your palate acclimatises blueberry becomes the overwhelming note, with underlying mango. This multifaceted character helps to keep the whiskey interesting from first to last sip. Don't bother adding water to this one, it just dumbs it all down to blandness, its great as it is!

 

Thanks to Steve as always for organising and Stephen Teeling for the sample. If you're down in Dublin there's a Teeling Tasting in the Norseman on Friday. The distillery should be open to the public from Mid-April next year, I for one am looking forward to visiting to see those shiny new copper stills! Cheers All and Slainte!

Teeling Whiskey

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 *I'd love to try those constituent parts Stephen if you're reading!

Ecclesiastical Spirit

Another week, another Tweet Tasting and today we're treated to a selection of Abbey Whisky's wares. They arrived lovingly packaged in straw and wax dipped, certainly some of the most pampered samples I've received to date. We tasted these on 20th November. Review after the obligatory group shot...

Range of colours, producers and ages.

Up first is Caperdonich's 17 year old whisky. Caperdonich 17 Year Old Refill Bourbon – Vintage: 1995 – Bottled: 2012 57.8%

Pale blonde in the glass with spicey woody notes, caramel and some alcohol in behind. Fairly fiery, grainy, sweet. Oils shimmer across the surface on adding a drop or two of water. Still fairly hot with lip drying finish. Little change to aroma too. Its a bit one dimensional and wasn't really a fan tbh.

Bunnahabhain 23 year old up next and noticeably
less alcoholic on the nose. No peat smoke here so probably one of its unsmoked variants. Vanilla and butterscotch bourbon wood character. Slightly vegetal, chartreuse like with bonfire ashes and a meaty finish. water in this one really dulls the nose but really sweetens the palate. goats cheese too? This would work well as an accompaniment to hearty game dishes, with just enough complexity to cut through the rich meat flavours. Ginger comes through in the finish, certainly one that delights long after the glass is drained even if unassuming up front.

Ben Nevis 16 y/o is 55% and noticeably darker on the pour an attractive chestnut brown from its time spent in an Oloroso Sherry Hogshead. Vintage: 1997 – Bottled: 2013.  Pledge and an underlying musty cellar with perhaps a hint of cider vinegar. Fairly boisterous on the palate with copper sulphate and plenty of warmth. Dry coffee roast notes in the finish. water rounds out the nose allowing caramel and orange flower water to the party but the alcohol still singes the nostrils. it makes the body fuller but also highlights the eggy sulphur notes. After that dissipates there's some lemon peel and plasticky notes, the nose opens up on standing and palate calms a bit too but its still a bruiser of a whisky. Blackcurrant ribena notes appear right in the finish.

The final dram is a mystery, the darkest of the lot an enticing copper red. turkish delight, apple cinnamon doughnuts and madeira sweetness, certainly the most interesting nose thus far!warm and spicey, orange marmalade, full bodied, oily finish. really enjoayble even without water. definitely saved the best for last! Turns out it was a 1993 Glen Dronach  again aged in Oloroso Sherry Butt, 20 years old. At £89.95 worth the money if you can spare it!

For me the GlenDronach was the standout star, with the bunnahabhain also enjoyable. I could take or leave the Ben Nevis and wasn't a fan of Caperdonich at all...goes to show that all whiskys are different and reinforces the statement "if you don't like whisky you just haven't tried enough yet!"

Cheers to Steve as always for organising the tasting and Abbey Whisky for sending out such interesting samples. Call by again next week for my summary of Monday's Arran tweet tasting.

#IMPOFF

I had been planning to clear some of my Impy stout stock, so what better time to do so than a mass twitter drinking session? The four bottles I dug out were a range of ABVs and different takes on the style, with two being barrel aged and two straight up Impys. 2 English, 1 Irish and an American effort.

Beers lined up to meet their destiny

First up was Black Sheep. This was brewed for the Great Baltic Adventure in 2010. I've had this on cask before; so was looking forward to seeing what it was like in a 2y/o bottle. It looked the part with a big open fluffy head and a dark brown in colour. At first it was disappointing with some higher alcohols and yeast esters hiding all the malt and hops had to offer. Thankfully after some breathing time it opened up to reveal rich hedgerow fruits and a roust malt backbone. Not nearly as complex as the aged cask but likeable nonetheless.

Another beer I'd had before next then, this time a 2010 bottle of Dark Star. I drank a five year old bottle of this last March and wasn't particularly impressed: It obviously had reached a low point in its maturation cycle as this one showed none of those off-notes.Really unctuous (yes, oil like) this one, evil black beer with fluffy tan head. Aromas of blackcurrant and molasses. Tobacco features heavily in taste, alongside roast barley and warming booze. Long finish with a touch of Marmite. Nice.

Switching it up a bit I cracked open my bottle of Porterhouse barrel aged celebration stout, one I knew I had to try after both the Beer Nut and Reuben posted reviews. Thankfully it was in stock at Drinkstore and now was the time to open it. Dark brown with coffee and whisky on the nose. In the mouth its milk chocolate and whisky with a long oaky vanilla finish. This showed off what a barrel can add to a beer. I agree with Ghosty that barrel ageing can bring a lot to the table and although not every beer is done well or can be OTT those excellent examples make the search worthwhile.

The piece de resistance had to wait another night because I was all stouted out. That meant that I could bask in the glory of this beer for much longer. That beer is of course Goose Island Bourbon County. Pours black as night with a lacing of beige and a continual eruption of small bubbles that burst on surfacing. Vanilla custard and caramel liqueur on the nose. Thick and rich and warming with chocolate, robust barley, through coffee, chicory and a long warming vanilla finish. Coffee comes in afterwards and rumbles on alongside oaky influences and a final whisky kiss. This is a fantastic beer and I urge you all to seek it out if you haven't done so already!