Review #440 - Teeling Ruby Port Single Cask - Binny's Pick
Ireland's Teeling single malt whisky is available regularly as a single cask - these are often cask strength, and they can be finished in all sorts of exotic casks. The example we're looking at today was selected by Binny's, a liquor retail chain in Illinois, and it was finished in a Port cask.
The strength is quite punchy - 58.4% ABV, to be specific. How will that fruity cask interact with that strongly presented Irish single malt character?
Teeling Ruby Port Single Cask - Binny's Pick
Ireland - Single Malt
Price: USD 96 (2024, equivalent product)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 58.4% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in a Ruby Port cask
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (twice blind) over 9 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich and packed with juicy fruit: strawberry bubblegum, orange wine, cherry candies, and cranberry. The strawberry turns to more of a freeze-dried fruit in time, and there are soft baking notes like vanilla. There's a restrained malt character in the background, but it's mostly covered by the cask; later, acidic purple fruits arrive.
Palate: Medium-thick, with a mix of syrupy fruit and spice. There's a fizzy sensation followed by cranberry-orange bread, lots of strawberry, sweet grapefruit, and cranberry sauce; stronger oak adds peppery spice and hints of wood smoke. Barley sugar and grainy baking sugar linger in the background.
Finish: Orange soda and orange juice, along with plenty of baking spices: nutmeg, vanilla, your classic 'Christmas spices' like cinnamon. Malt comes through stronger in the end, and we still get a bit of a fizzy sensation; it's a medium length finish. In the aftertaste, wood tannins continue the spice.
Final Note: This is a good Irish single malt - definitely cask-dominated, though the malty grain character did show up more in the palate and finish. While the nose was dominated by sweet fruity flavors, some spices and a surprisingly amount of oak popped up on the palate, adding more balance.
Value is okay - some of these single casks can be a little bit expensive, but they can also be packed with flavor. If you like a strong wine influence in your single malt, one of these Port-finished Teeling bottles could be a good option.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 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: 5.97
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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