We had the pleasure of tasting 4 great Teeling expressions last night with the ever knowledgable and all-round good guy, James Kilgannon.
On the menu were:
- Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Plantation Rum
- Sommelier Sélection Margaux Wine Cask
- Reichstrat Von buhl pinot noir cask
- Australian Shiraz Renaissance 2
I’d been really looking forward to the tasting, since our Brabazon series tasting a few months ago. We thoroughly enjoyed all 3 expressions and so had high hopes for these!
Teeling Stiggins’ Fancy Small Batch Plantation Rum Collaboration 49.2% ABV
After being the first distillery to receive a selection of the award-winning & Plantation Rum Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple Rum Casks, Teeling used them for their own unique Small Batch Whiskey.
Plantation Rum Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple Rum was bottled this year at 49.2% ABV as a limited release of 3,750 bottles.
“This small-batch release features a premium blend of grain and malt whiskey which has been matured separately in ex-bourbon barrels for a period of 6 years before being carried in Plantation Pineapple Rum Barrels for a further period of 15 months.”
Teeling whiskey
Appearance: Golden and nicely oily in the glass
Nose: Definitely bananas, lots of confectionary sugar lead. There’s a healthy dose of ethanol, but it’s sweet and not overpowering at all. Berries and vanilla, like raspberry ripple in a glass.
It’s quite new makey, which may very well be the pineapple influence. Zingy.
I wouldn’t say I can taste rum per se, but I can definitely taste the influence it has had on the whiskey, and it’s good.
There’s a slight meatiness on the nose too. Almost like (and this is a very specific aroma) biltong meat, marinated, before being dried. I love that smell!
Small Batch provides for us a great base that we expand on. I like to think of it as a foundation of familiarty, almost a comfortable place. The maturation in unique casks like the fantastic plantation pineapple casks adds that signature Teeling Effect#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Palate: Burnt sugar, honey and vanilla lead in a slightly more mellow palate than I expected. Nice mouthfeel, quite oily. Buttery chocolate now developing. Nice balance, there’s spice and sweetness complimenting each other.
It’s that butteriness that I’m really enjoying. A little malt but also tropical fruits and cane sugar.
Finish: The finish is a continuation of the chocolate and butteriness, with slight berries and tropical fruits. A touch of spice, which disapears before the sweetness fades completely.
The casks used for this whiskey have been seasoned with both white and dark rum that have been infused with victorian pineapple fruit and rind separately before being re-distilled and aged again.#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
We were very excited about the Stiggins Cask and delighted with the reception it recieved. Rum casks can bring a liveliness and energetic character to whiskey#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Overall: Overall I really like this pineapple cask expression. I hoped I would but there’s always a slight tentativeness where rum casks are concerned. Gladly it’s a lovely drop. Nice balance, easy-going and mellow, especially for the ABV!
Teeling Sommelier Sélection Margaux Wine Cask 46% ABV
Teeling Sommelier Sélection Margaux Wine Cask was matured in bourbon casks before getting another 18 months in Margaux wine casks. This is a wine that can be found in Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux, with the village of Margaux as the epicentre of its vineyards.
It was bottled this year at 46% ABV as a limited release of 7,500 bottles.
I suppose this bottling came about us looking for unconventional flavours in whiskey. A stem off the Brabazon and the Revival/Renaissance series.
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Appearance: This one’s definitely a more colourful whiskey. Rose wine, well, rose coloured!
Nose: On the nose I get floral notes, nuttiness and very little ethanol. Quite fruity, maybe oranges or satsumas, quite reminiscent of summer orchards. I’m getting digestive biscuits nafter a short while.
It’s a softer nose for me, more difficult to pick out aromas. Very delicate.
Palate: Copper, floral and sugar on the palate initially. A tad drying at the back of the tongue. Darker fruits on the palate, more autumnal than summer. As the glass matures there’s more butteriness. Bitter dark chocolate and lemon zest.
if you look at Europe as a whole, there are an incredible amount of different varients of Wine casks, grape types, wood types, regions and styles that you can choose from.#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Finish: The finish is bitter chocolate and a zing. There was a lime dark chocolate from Lindt, sounds a bit odd but really works. This reminds me of that.
Overall: Overall another unique expression that works very well. Chocolate and fruits with some spice and a buttery mouthfeel. What more could you want?!
Teeling Reichstrat Von buhl pinot noir cask 46% ABV
Limited to around 3,000 bottles, the Teeling Small Batch Whiskey is matured in the best hand-picked Pinot Noir barrels by Reichsrat von Buhl for 12 months. A blend of 80% grain and 20% malt whiskey, which matures in bourbon barrels for around six years.
Available exclusively in Germany or via Teeling’s online store, the Reichsrat von Buhl Pinot Noir Small Batch Collaboration Whiskey used ex-Pinot Noir Red Wine casks as a true celebration of all things Irish and German.
Appearance: Gold, good viscosity in the glass. Looks inviting!
Nose: Much meatier on the nose than the first two. A slight mint and…………..FUNK! Richer fruits, stewed maybe, with a sugary pastry.
Light spices, a little Christmas feel.
This whiskey is a continuation of our Riesling collaboration with Reichsrat von Buhl.#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Palate: So, the palate is superb. I’m happy. There’s the almost signature chocolatey butteriness of the first 2 expressions, but with the dark fruits and depth, I guess, from the pinot noir.
Finish: The finish has a slight copper tinge, mostly dark fruits, warmth and lingering fruitiness
Overall: Overall I really really like the pinot noir expression. Great balance of flavours, which are all bursting from the glass. A wonderful sipper for winter (or any other time to be fair).
Teeling Renaissance Series 2 46% ABV
Teeling Australian Shiraz Renaissance 18-Year-Old Single Malt was initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in ex-Australian Shiraz wine casks and bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered & Limited to just 9,000 bottles.
Appearance: Slightly deeper amber than the first 2. More depth.
Nose: Major peaches and sugar on the nose. Every sugar aroma in a traditional sweet shop. Foam bananas, sugared almonds. There’s an aroma that dominates, that I’ve not found this strong in any other whiskey. I think it is the confectionary sugar, but can’t help but feel I’m missing something!
Peach Schnapps!
When we opened the distillery in Newmarket square in 2015 we launched the revival series, celebrating the revival of Irish whiskey. This included Exclusive single malts aged in Rum, pineau de charentes, Muscat, Calvados and Cognac & Brandy.#thewhiskeychaps
— James Kilgannon (@james_kilgannon) October 29, 2020
Palate: The peach and sugar continue onto the palate. There’s a very slight spice. Plethora of stoned fruits, sugars and baking spices. Very unique whiskey!
Finish: Still that peach and sugar combo. Nice and sweet, lingers for a decent amount of time.
Overall: It’s a whiskey that’s consistent throughout the tasting process. It’s also very unique indeed. WOuld be very interested to taste future expressions!
Of the 4, I think my favourite was the rum cask! They were all awesome though! It’s a great campaign and one that I’ll be following from now on! The great thing is that they were all so different, completely! Great example of the diversity of whiskey!
Huge thanks to James and Teeling for their generosity, time and knowledge. What a great tasting it was!
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