Teeling Renaissance Series n°3 18 yo

 

 

 

46° 

Distillery : Cooley - Ireland

Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Ex-Muscat Wine Finish

Independent Bottling 

By The Teeling Whiskey Company 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

All Teelings aged over 7 years can only come from the Cooley distillery, from which the Teeling brothers left in 2012 with no fewer than 16,000 aged casks, before founding a distillery in their name in 2014. The 4 Renaissance editions have all been finished in different wine casks. This one, released earlier this year in a batch of 9,000, was finished for eighteen months in Muscat wine casks. As usual, at Teeling they try to add a touch of originality to tradition.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Baked apples, slightly acidic, delicately vanilla flavoured. The wine is clearly present, with pear juice, Chasselas grapes and sugar candy. Very nice balance. On the other hand, the palate seems a little too light compared with the very pleasant nose. Spices, turmeric, saffron, cumin, orange and quince jam, dried apricots. Red plums. Very long, woody finish, with hints of cereals and vanilla. Wheat, cola. Spring water, running between the rocks. Humus.

 

In Short, 

An excellent one, where the finish enhances the fragrances without losing the product's identity. With a slight downside on the palate, which didn't seem quite up to scratch. All in all, a very good juice, but unfortunately too expensive for what it is.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Joan Baez - Sad Eyed Lady of The Lowlands

Teeling Single Pot Still

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Teeling - Ireland

Ex-Bourbon, Ex-Sherry and Virgin Oak Casks

Original Bottling

Core Range

Single Pot Still

Launched in 2018

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

When the juice produced by the Teeling distillery was finally ready to be bottled, the brothers of the same name wanted to start by producing something typically Irish. Single Pot Still, half unmalted barley and half malted barley, triple distillation, it's all there. However, we have all the ingredients of modern whiskey: reduced to 46°, not chill-filtered and without colouring, and a touch of originality with this triple maturation which aims for perfect balance. 

Let's Taste It : 

Cereals on the nose right from the start, which is hardly surprising, this is the realm of Single Pot. Corn, smoked wheat, barley. Then a hint of vanilla bears witness to the influence of Bourbon. The Sherry gives body to the whole, without really leaving its mark. A hint of heather. On the palate, discreet spices, honey, it's sweet. You can almost feel the cereals crunching under your teeth. Quite a long, strong finish, straw, hay, cowshed, dry earth. Pumice. A bit more honey.

 

In Short, 

It's quite frankly a success, if you ask me. You'd have to make a comparison with the Redbreast 12 year old, but I'm not sure that the latter would come out as the winner. On the other hand, the price is a bit exaggerated.

Score : 84

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Kate wolf - Green Eyes

Teeling Small Batch

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Teeling - Ireland

Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Flor de Cana Nicaragua Rum Finish

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Blended Whiskey

Launched in 2013

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

When the Cooley distillery was sold to Beam Suntory in January 2012, the Teeling brothers, sons of the distillery's founder, arranged to recover 16,000 casks in agreement with the new owners. They then launched the Teelung Whiskey Company to sell these casks, and with the profits they opened the new Teeling distillery in Dublin city itself in 2014. Small Batch was launched in 2013. Initially made with Cooley juice, it has now been produced in Teeling itself since 2018. It is two-thirds 4-year-old Grain Whiskey, and one-third 7-year-old Single Malt Whiskey. The two are blended and then finished for 6 months in rum casks.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Mellow corn on the nose, sugar cane, icing sugar, genoise. A hint of limestone. The cereals are in the background, but you can clearly smell them, it's harvest time. Wheat, sunshine, barley. On the palate, light vanilla, pastry cream, marzipan. Sweet without being aggressive. Puffed rice. Thick and creamy milk. Perhaps a drop of lemon, but no more. Then the spices rise, pepper, cloves. The finish is a bit harsh, but very long, on corn and other cereals.

 

In Short, 

The finish in rum casks gives an original profile, especially on the nose, and the whole is not too shabby. I'd recommend a purchase for lovers of grain whiskey, provided you can find it at a decent price.

Score : 82   

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Emmylou Harris - Tulsa Queen

Laphroaig 2000 La Préceptorie Cask Finish 7 yo

 

 

 

58,2°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

Refill Sherry Butt and Vin de Maury Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage for La Maison du Whisky

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2008

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

Bottled by Signatory Vintage, but distributed by La Maison du Whisky as part of the Whisky & Wine series, 445 copies of this little thing were produced. There is also a reduced version at 46°, but I preferred that one. After 7 years in a single Sherry cask, the juice was finished for 11 months in a cask of Maury AOC wine from the Roussillon region, 50 km from Perpignan, whose main grape variety is Grenache Noir. The domain selected is La Préceptorie, undoubtedly one of the best of these South-Western wines.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Varnished wood, Italia grapes, dried apricots, prunes. Dash of smoke, a few nails, gravel, bitumen. Cashew nuts, a touch of iodine and salt. Cherry and damson clafoutis. A hint of coal and scrap metal, but very discreet. Slightly vinous on the palate, unripe greengages, a pack of peat, oily charcoal, petroleum, intense spices, paprika, cumin, ginger. Quite violent and long finish, on heather earth, humus, tannins. Very slight acidity, sweet and sour sauce, plum. Muscat grapes.

 

In Short, 

It's very good, with a remarkable finish. The charcoal is intense, and blends quite well with the vinous notes. The finish in particular makes you dizzy. However, it doesn't have all the hallmarks of the distillery, and is a little young on the palate. Nevertheless, it's still a top-class whisky, a curiosity to be tasted.

Score :90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Bad Company - Bad Company

Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch N° 008

 

 

 

59,2°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st Fill, Refill Sherry, 1st Fill Bourbon and Rioja Wine Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

Since 2013, the distillery has been offering a single-cask bottling every year. Each time, the maturation process is a slightly different. And this year, surprise surprise, it seems that a few drops of wine cask-aged liquid have been slipped in, although this is not confirmed by the company's website.

Let's Taste It : 

Full-bodied and fruity, with juicy pear, watermelon and liquorice. Gingerbread, cinnamon, Smyrna grapes and morello cherries. But also berries, blueberries and gooseberries. Genoise biscuit, vanilla, pastry cream, chantilly cream. Finger-licking goodness. On the palate, spices, banana and a hint of lemon soon follow. Pepper, cumin, nutmeg. It's warm. The finish is very woody, again with biscuit flavours, quite long and explosive. Heather earth.

 

In Short, 

Very pleasant, just add a splash of water to make sure it doesn't take your head off. As sweet as ever, you'll want to have another glass. You may be tempted to buy it, even if the value for money is a little questionable.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Ray Charles - What'd I Say

Glengoyne 18 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st, 2d Fill Sherry and Bourbon Casks 

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2012

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Launched in 2012 to replace the 17-year-old, this expression is the distillery's spearhead. Made from 30% First Fill Sherry Seasoned Casks, with the slow fermentation and distillation that characterise the distillery (more than 8 hours in the stills, it seems!), it undoubtedly offers us the best the distillery can produce at an acceptable price.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very rich nose, with hints of Christmas cake, gingerbread and dark chocolate. Brown sugar, which dissolves in the coffee. Pudding with Smyrna raisins. Morello cherries. Cinnamon. Coriander. Crumble, baked apples. Dash of vanilla, pastry cream. Monstrous balance on the palate, sweetness at first, then the spices rise. Sucking candy, chocolate cake, religieuse. You'd think you were in a bakery. The finish is long and very woody, with fruity notes of prunes, damsons and red apples. Kahlùa.

 

In Short, 

Really nice, warm and friendly. To be enjoyed by the fire on an evening when it's snowing outside. Having said that, I prefer Bunnahabhain 18 yo, with a profile that's not too far off. I find that the palate here is a little inferior. I'd like to taste it again to get a better idea.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Nicolette Larson - 'Lotta Love

Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter Two

 

 

 

48°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands 

1st Fill Bourbon and Refill Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Glengoyne is traditionally associated with ageing in Sherry casks, and this new limited series shows that this is by no means a requirement, having been matured mainly in first-fill Bourbon casks. The second maturation, in Refill Sherry, is bound to be harder to notice. This second chapter is dedicated to Peter Russell who, under the leadership of Ian McLeod Distillers, took over the distillery in 2003 and managed to double its production capacity without changing the distillation method, which is known to be slow, thus amplifying the flavours. Although the age is not stated on the bottle, I have been assured that it is a blend of products aged between 8 and 15 years.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is younger than the aged editions, but also more robust. The influence of Bourbon is predominant, with honey and juicy fruits. Vanilla, lemon, but also melon, passion fruit and even pineapple. A few hints of limestone too. Pebbles at the bottom of a river bed. A pinch of salt. The palate is full-bodied, but this time it's the Sherry that stands out, with pronounced spices. Paprika, saffron, black pepper. Damp wood, quickly varnished. Long, imposing finish, without being aggressive, electrifying, on Armenian paper. Cinnamon.

 

In Short, 

This bottling is a real success, with its 48° alcoholic strength bringing out the full breadth and variety of flavours. It's very satisfying. Nevertheless, I have to say that I prefer bottlings where Sherry dominates, for this distillery. What's more, the value for money is a little tight for my taste, but I don't think fans should hesitate.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                                        Donna Summer - I Feel Love

Glengoyne 12 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Glengoyne - Highlands

1st Fill, 2nd Fill American Bourbon and 1st Fill European Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2009

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

The difference is tight between Glengoyne's 10 year old and 12 year old. Three degrees more alcohol, and for my part I find a greater influence of Bourbon. However, the Sherry casks are first fill and should stand out. With this 12yo, the idea is to satisfy the Western European market with a product of better quality, but still very competitive in terms of price.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is full-bodied and more vanilla-like, with hints of white plum and coconut. Round and sweet, with hints of genoise biscuit and waffle with whipped cream. The first taste is suave, with a hint of lemon. Then the spices kick in, pepper, mustard and ginger. Warm. The finish is very balanced, not very aggressive, but quite long, with muscat grapes and a sprinkling of milk chocolate. The finish is evanescent, with green apples and a few floral hints.

 

In Short, 

For a few euros more, I think it would be better to buy this one, which is more solid and tasty. However, I'm not totally convinced, it lacks sherry for my taste, even though it's quite good overall.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Al Green - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart