Teeling Douro Old Vines
Sommelier Selection Small Batch | 46% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Sometimes you just get what you pay for; in the best of ways
A Beacon of Hope?
We all know how Scotch whisky is facing quite a bit of turmoil in recent times, but what to make of the situation just across the sea on the Emerald Isle?
Where, until two or three years ago, it seemed there was a new distillery popping up every week, things now seem a lot more quiet, up to a point where in some cases the plug on a brand-new distillery was pulled just when they were all but ready to go.
We all know what happened with Waterford, of course, and as it turned out they were the first, but unfortunately not the last of distilleries or producers turning out to be short lived. Killarney has been closed, with remaining stock being released. Powerscourt (under the brand name Fercullen) was about to go into receivership just at the end of last year when an investor stepped in at the last moment to prevent bankruptcy.
The same applies for Blackwater Distillery. Midleton paused production for several months; while Dublin Liberties also temporarily halted production. Roe & Co – Diageo’s first new endeavour into Irish whiskey in years - has been mothballed not even six years after production started. While they continue their blending and packaging operations, shutting down production did mean that over a hundred people lost their jobs. So fair to say, momentarily, things look pretty grim.
Despite all the hardship, it seems there are also a few who keep their heads up and go about their business as usual. One of them being Teeling.
Arguably the first of the ‘new wave’ of Irish 21st century distilleries, Teeling was founded when owner John Teeling sold Cooley distillery to Beam around 2011-2012, taking a load of Cooley stock with him to set up shop in Dublin. And when their plant became operational in 2015 they effectively brought distilling back to Dublin.
While the optimism of a decade ago seems exactly that; a thing of the past, Teeling did manage to establish itself. Not in the least when Bacardi stepped in. First with a minority interest back in 2017 which they eventually increased, now owning 79% of the company since 2022. The daily business and operations are still being managed by John's two sons Jack and Stephen. A decade on, Teeling, fair to say, has proven to be quite ubiquitous – releasing single malt, pot still, single grain and blended Irish whiskey. Now it is undeniable that Teeling too is facing significant struggles due to the decline in interest, the tariffs and rising costs. Recent numbers suggest that in the last year profits have dropped by no less than 91%, from € 3,4 million to less than €300,000. And while they have the backing of a major conglomerate like Bacardi, suffice to say that something will need to change in order to build a sustainable future. And I really hope they do, because I’ve developed a bit of a liking towards Teeling.
Yes, it’s hard to keep track sometimes with what their core range actually is, or what can be seen as ‘limited’ releases. And while a few of those early releases were a bit wishy-washy perhaps, I’ve come to really appreciate some of them over the years. Particularly their single malt, which I think is actually a very well made, lovely dram.
Also, some higher end limited releases I tried were very good. By and large, a jaw dropping experience from Teeling might still be the exception to the rule; but if you’re looking for decent Irish whiskey at a fair price (take note, Midleton) I’ve come to find Teeling has been doing a pretty solid job in recent years. Their presentation is stylish and pleasing without overdoing it, and most, if not all, of what they release is presented at 46% ABV and without chill filtration. Those are boxes being ticked, right there.
Review
Teeling Douro Old Vines, Sommelier Selection 5, 2022 release, Portuguese Douro Old Vines finish, 24,000 bottles, 46% ABV
£42 paid and still available
Before we dive into the review, there are a few things that still frustrate me about Teeling. I still feel as if they’re overdoing things a bit with all their cask series: these wine cask series, all the different beer casks, the ‘Wonders of Wood’ releases and so on. Although I’m sure others will love it as it really showcases what finishing and maturation can add to - or take away from - their spirit.
Also, and now I’m really nitpicking; their ‘vocabulary’ leaves room for improvement. I ranted about this lack of clarity and vague use of words the last time I reviewed an Irish whiskey, and I don’t want to go into all that again, but Teeling, claiming the term ‘progressive’ when describing themselves, really ought to do better.
Nowhere does this say ‘blend’ for starters. Almost as if they’re trying to avoid using the actual term. If I were able to make a (spoiler alert) budget friendly, quality blend like this, I’d probably shout it from the rooftops. And while I get that there might still be some older Cooley stock that went into this alongside actual Teeling distillery spirit, I do hope we’ll soon start seeing the word ‘distilled at’ rather than ‘produced by’ The Teeling Whiskey Company.
Furthermore, if you don’t add colour and avoid chill filtering, just put those terms on the label. ‘Natural character’ may well be a cool way to describe your whiskey (points to the marketing department), but it means very little if you don’t at least elaborate as to what this means. Not everyone who picks up a bottle has an understanding about things like chill filtering or natural colour. It’s only in the very last sentence of the cardboard box that comes with it, where they state ‘no chill filtering’ (notice there is nothing about not adding colour – I had to take Whiskybase’s word for it).
Oh, and finally, what exactly does ‘small batch’ even mean if there’s 24,000 bottles of this stuff available?
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Sometimes, you just get what you pay for, in the best of ways
Nose
A nice depth of dark, sugary, berry fruit and stewed fruit (rhubarb, plums) sweetness, deep amber honey and demerara sugar. Caramel and toffee and chocolate. A soft spice-vegetal element adds a hint of cola cubes as well. Very nice and well developed.
Palate
That same mixture of dark fruit and sweetness from sugary and honey elements. A hint of charred wood and spices make for a pleasant, gentle bitterness which counterbalances those sweeter notes. A grainy note betrays the fact that this is a blend, but it fits in really well with all the other notes. It’s actually hard to say something less positive about this whiskey and, if we’re very honest (and why wouldn’t we be), the texture and mouthfeel is a bit thin.
The Dregs
I recently sneaked this one into a blind tasting for some friends, and frankly, that was a bit unfair of me, as it was a 46% ABV blended whiskey that had to put its foot next to some heavy hitting cask strength single malts. I have to say, it did stand out against this rather stiff competition, but not in a negative way and consensus was that it was pretty tasty and overall it was rated somewhere in the peloton.
The reason for me putting it up in a line up with (among others) things like the 12 yo cask strength Bunnahabhain and that 18 yo cask strength Jura is simple: I like this!
Sure if it needs to go head-to-head with high strength single malts, it may come up a bit short, but try it on its own and it really delivers in my book. This is decent whiskey at a very decent price. Unpretentious and well made, and while this is nothing earth shattering, it’s easy drinking and very tasty. Those Douro casks actually work pretty well – not as rosy sweet as some Port cask finishes, not as dense or syrupy as some (PX) sherry casks, but somewhere nicely in between. Definitely not a typical wine cask, and possibly that’s a good thing.
All that said: would I have put this down as an Irish whiskey if I were to taste this blind? I’m not at all sure. With a blend, particularly a budget friendly one like this, I feel it’s fair to assume that the grain component won’t be adding too much in terms of ‘character’ or ‘taste’, leaving the malt spirit and the casks in charge. And even while the balance is good – I feel as if that lighter style of a blend actually prevents things from becoming overly heavy rather than the spirit is being overpowered by active cask finishing - it’s clear that the casks are doing quite a bit of the heavy lifting when we talk flavour.
I’m definitely not the biggest wine cask fan, but when it’s well made, it’s well made. And, to be honest, this is really well made.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA
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