Teeling “The Revival” 15 year old

Malt Mileage Rating: ★★★★

Type: Single malt

Origin: Ireland 

ABV: 46%

Teeling “The Revival” 15 year old is a limited edition Irish single malt whiskey which celebrates  the opening of the Teeling distillery, which “revived” distilling in the city of Dublin after 125 years. 

The single malt is matured exclusively in used American oak barrels which previously held Caribbean rum. Given that the barrels are sourced from barrel traders, it is not possible to disclose which rum distillery the barrels came from. Suffice to say, it takes only one sniff of this whiskey to know that Teeling have purchased very good quality rum barrels. 

On the nose the whiskey smells of vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, dried banana, toasted coconut, raisin, and chocolate coated coffee beans. The bouquet is very creamy, with plenty of vanilla and sugars from the ex-rum barrels. On the palate the whiskey gushes with flavours you would expect of a full flavoured Carribean rum – the drying sugary kick of the rum is fiery as it is robust, and as the storm settles spices emerge in the form of ginger, anise seed, and clove with highlights of peppermint oil/menthol. On the finish, there is lingering crystalline brown sugar, rounded vanilla and wood. The taste of the oak remains on the tip of tongue, and tastes of mildly bitter damp bark, chicory and cigar tobacco.  

Teeling “The Revival” 15 year old whiskey is a progressive whiskey, which marries the flavours of malt whiskey and Caribbean rum. The whiskey is harmonious, balanced and offers flavours that are not commonly found in many whiskies because it is rare for whisk(e)y distilleries to mature whisk(e)y exclusively in rum barrels.