Review by: Raygun

This is the current (or as of last year) handfill at the Teeling distillery. Seems to be fully matured in a rum cask. Teeling single casks have been some of the best Irish I’ve tried, but never had one this old. I guess this would have actually been distilled at Cooley and been part of the stock brought over after Cooley was sold, since the Teeling distillery didn’t exist until 2015. Reviewed from a sample. Rested for 10 minutes.

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Distillery: Teeling 

Bottler: Teeling

Region/style: Irish single malt 

ABV: 54.7%

Age: 22 years. Distilled in 2001, bottled in 2024. 

Cask type: Rum cask #39734. 

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Got some definite oak and a nice fruity touch. Mango, lime, and Asian pear. Some cream, vanilla, and caramel. Smells fresh. The cream aspect develops with water, taking on some milkshake.      

Palate: Hotter than I expected. More cream and vanilla, with a dessert style like tres leches cake. Lime curd, mango, and cake frosting. Not that much oak for the age. There is a little hint of peppery spice. It actually goes very well with the cake and fruit aspects. 

Finish: Still got some major heat, or my palate is just sensitive today. Cream, vanilla milkshake, cake frosting. A touch of lime, but less than the nose or palate. Something like green curry with coconut milk.  

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Conclusion: Less fruit than there initially seemed, and it turns more to cream and cake. Which is still tasty. The lime is a nice touch. It’s well done, but fairly conventional. Their unusual casks (acacia, chestnut, etc.) have made a bigger impression on me.   

Score: 83

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Kavalan Solist Manzanilla)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Amrut Peated CS)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Taketsuru Pure Malt)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Bushmills 10 Malt)
• 0-49: Blech.