Review by: Raygun
Scotch has to be aged in oak, but with Irish whiskey all bets are off when it comes to the wood. Teeling at least takes advantage of this freedom, using many different wood types. I’ve tried acacia and chestnut casks from Teeling and those were fun, so figured I’d give this virgin cherry cask a shot when I saw it at Binny’s. I’ve had bourbon finished in cherrywood before, but never something aged entirely in cherry. Contributed it to a homemade advent calendar, so sprang it on a number of unsuspecting whisky friends as well. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Teeling
Bottler: Teeling
Region/style: Irish single malt whiskey
ABV: 61.5%. Cask strength
Age: NAS
Cask type: Virgin cherry cask
Color: 1.0 deep copper. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Odd. Chocolatey, but with a cereal aspect that reminds me of Irish. A little musty and mossy. Damp wood. Fruit on the edge of fermenting.
Palate: Strange again. Fruity in a candy-like way. Chocolate-covered cherries. Cherry milkshake. Drying and again mossy and woody in a peculiar way. Got plenty of heat and general aggression. Brings the cherry flavor for sure.
Finish: More candy-like fruit and sweetness. Cherry soda. Drying, but not such intense woody flavor. Definite heat. Can’t be Scotch, I don’t think. Long, maybe too long.
Conclusion: Strange, but it sort of pulls it off to me. The cherry influence is very strong and results in some odd flavors that aren’t entirely cohesive. And yet the chocolate cherry aspects are nice, if maybe slightly overpowering. Subtle it is not. Fun to try, but I don’t imagine I’d reach for it often if I had a bottle. I will note that I found it more palatable than most, with other reactions including, “I’m disheartened that this exists and someone spent money on it,” and, “Dear God this might be the worst spirit I’ve ever tasted.” Consider yourself warned.
Score: 73
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.
