Review #266 - Teeling 30 Year
Irish distillery Teeling was established in Dublin in 2015. It was the city's first new distillery in over 100 years, and it produces both single malt whisky and single pot still whisky, to the tune of roughly 500,000 liters per annum.
This bottle has a vintage of 1991, so it predates the establishment of the distillery by more than two decades, indicating that this has been sourced from another distillery in Ireland. Midleton and Cooley are both distilleries with stock predating 1991; considering the Teeling family's connections with Cooley, it's possible that it's the source, but there's no official word.
Maturation was a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes wine casks, so we're guessing this will lean to the sweet and fruity parts of the flavor spectrum; it's bottled at 46%, and we're hoping the long maturation period has added some oily texture.
Teeling 30 Year
Ireland - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 1,155 (2024)
Age Statement: 30 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes casks
Details: Not chill filtered; 1991 vintage, bottled 2021
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Tropical fruits are the star here: strongly defined nectarine, along with mango, guava, peaches and cream, and orange. More sweetness from brown sugar, peach ring candies, and vanilla; there's musty wine and a hint of old polished oak as well. Little hints of pepper and grain can be found at times.
Palate: A medium mouthfeel; mature oak grows stronger, but it's a somewhat soft and subtle palate overall. Syrup and honey, golden raisins, brown sugar, and rum sauce add initial sweet notes; more tropical fruit of mango, fizzy pineapple, and nectarines arrive later. There's a light floral side, some effervescence; later in the palate, we get a distinct taste of watermelon mint salad.
Finish: Peach candies, golden raisin, and strong nectarine - still a bit of a fruit bomb. There are mature notes of polished oak and a peppery tannin, while a tiny bit of spirit influence still peeks through despite the age. Later, it's fizzy with vanilla and malt.
Final Note: Great flavor, especially beautiful on the nose. So many tropical fruits; it is a bit subtle and delicate at times, but this transformed over time, showing nice complexity. The strength of 46% was a nice starting point, but this could have been sublime with a few more proof points - that lack of strength in the flavor delivery is our main qualm with this whisky, and it isn't a serious one.
This release is a few years old, and the combination of limited quantity and the relative rarity of well-aged Irish whisky in general means that the price is now at ridiculous levels. Not worth the $1,000 to $2,500 price tags that are associated online, but it is a very tasty whisky.
Our Average Rating: 8.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 2.87
Check out our other Irish single malt reviews:
