Teeling Irish Whiskey “Wonders of Wood” Virgin Portuguese Oak
My Irish Blood is giddy today with this entry in to the 2023 Spirited Holiday Countdown Calendar.
The Teeling family is steeped in distilling tradition, going back to the late 1700s when Walter Teeling began distilling in Dublin, Ireland write down the road from where the distillery now sits.
Since 2012, Jack and Stephen Teeling, the latest generation of Teeling Whiskey makers, have been putting their own mark on Irish Whiskey and came full circle in 2015 when they proudly opened the new Teeling Whiskey Distillery just down the road from where the original family distillery once stood. The Teeling Whiskey Distillery today is the first new distillery in Dublin for over 125 years.
Some of their earlier offerings were a bit edgy, showing their youth. Their reserve offerings with significantly higher age statements were developed from barrel stores that were acquired from other distilleries, but we don’t get to play with those.
Enter “Wonders of Wood”. In partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland, the Wonders of Wood series will help to plant exclusively native Irish tree Species in their own designated acre of land in the Wicklow area of Ireland.
The first release of the “Wonders of Wood” series was in 2022. It is a single pot still whiskey aged in virgin Chinkapin American white oak. The whiskey one a number of awards, including the World’s Best Pot Still Whiskey in 2022 at the World Whiskies Awards.
This second release in the series is aged on virgin Portuguese oak. It is crafted with 50% malted barley and 50% unmalted barley and bottled at 100.0 proof with no chill filtration. This means that all of the minute goodness of the whiskey is left in the bottle adding character and complexity. This isn’t unique to Teeling, most distillers are using this process now as it imparts exceptional character.
- Name: Teeling Irish Whiskey “Wonders of Wood” #2 – Virgin Portuguese Oak
- Country of Origin/Locale: Dublin, Ireland
- Proof: 100.00
- Glass: Glencairn
- Temperature: Room
- Cocktail Options: None
- Available: Yes. Retail and in JJ’s Bar
- Price: List Price – $122.99 JJ’s VIP Price – $98.39
Tom’s Tasting Notes: In having tasted other offerings from Teeling, I was excited to see what they could do with this offering for a variety of reasons. I noted earlier that some of the other offerings Teeling are a bit edgy. This translates to, not my favorite. But as the they have started to release whiskies with a little more age and distinction, I believe they are on the right track, especially with this one. The nose on this whiskey is very fruit forward. Lots of berries, tree fruit and some toasty, oaky spice. The flavor is a balance of caramlized sugar, berries and oak, The finish is dry with a punch as it swirls down with some fruit notes lingering.
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