Teeling St. Patrick's Day Tasting

Happy St. Patrick's Day

//Disclaimer: I was invited to this Tasting by Teeling. All opinions stated are still my own.//

What a great way to start off St. Patrick's Week. The Tasting was hosted by Teeling Global Brand Ambassador Robert Caldwell. He was joined by Master Distiller/Blender Alex Chasko, Head of Operations Iain Wood and Irish Musician Brian Broody. This gave the whole tasting a "Night at the Pub with Friends" feeling, which I thought was amazing. The technical difficulties in the beginning where handled very well and there where no further problems during the tasting.

As for the Whiskies sampled these were the three Distillery Exclusives. They all start of as the same blend of Malt and Grain Whiskey and after an initial maturation period are the put into different varieties of oak casks. The Distillery Exclusives are "nerdy" experiments to find out more about what different oak types bring to the table and how they might be used in other projects.

Personal Tasting Notes:

Hungarian Oak "The Smell of Spring":

Nose: On the nose, this Whiskey reminded me of a field of flowers in spring. That sort of floral freshness. There was also a fruity and honey element to the nose.

Taste: On the taste, the influence of the oak becomes really apparent. It leaves your mouth dry as you taste the spiciness and tannins. Behind that, there are dried fruits, and the same floral note as in the nose.

Chinkapin Oak "The Orient":

Nose: The second sample was very different from the first. Many different spices came to mind. Almost like an oriental spice market. There was also a note of a heavy roast coffee and cereals.

Taste: On the taste, it was way softer then expected. The spices are still there but less present then on the nose. Much more dominant is the taste of honey, dates and figs.

Irish Virgin Oak "Irish Country House":

Nose: Last but not least came the Whiskey aged in Irish Virgin Oak. There was fresh heather, honey and a bit of a tea element on the nose. Underneath that was the smell of leather.

Taste: The taste was soft and round with notes of vanilla, caramel and cereals. A very balanced and delicate Whiskey.

It's hard to pick my favourite from the tasting but for me it was the Hungarian Oak. That smell of spring is so beautiful, especially as I'm writing this review while it is snowing outside...

I want to thank everybody at Teeling for inviting me and wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day.