Teeling Single Malt

Teeling Single Malt whiskey is reviewed from a mini, bottle code L14 11 304 11:48. Teeling Single Malt is a no age statement ("malt whiskey aged up to 23 years old") using sherry, port, madeira, white burgundy, and cabernet sauvignon casks

Nose: mellow barley-malt with many subtle pleasant wine overtones, and very noticeable vanilla. The cabernet sauvignon influence is particularly evident, as is the white burgundy. Pleasant, smooth, mellow. Score: 22/25

Taste: even more multi-faceted wine complexity is observed in the mouth. It is lovely to be able to watch the many nuances from the various wines here. This reminds me a lot of Tullamore DEW 10 yo single malt, which also uses multiple wine cask maturation. Great sweetness is here balanced by some intense tart-sour citrus. There is plenty of wood influence here. Score: 21.5/25

Finish: stays winey to the end, with a lot of sour on the close. Score: 20.5/25

Balance: very good in the nose, good on the palate. Score: 21/25

With Water: 1) high-pitched sweetness is brought out in the nose, and 2) low-pitched fruit tannins not far from black licorice flavours are brought out in the mouth. This is pretty interesting with water added

Total Sequential Score: 85 points

Strength: good strength of flavours in the nose, very good strength of flavours thereafter. Score: 22/25

Quality: great wine flavours, good wood flavours. Score: 21.5/25

Variety: plenty of variety in the wine elements; otherwise good variety. Score: 22/25

Harmony: lovely harmony in the nose; good harmony on the palate; fair harmony by the finish. Score: 20/25

Total Non-Sequential Score: 85.5 points

Comment: this is my third Teeling whiskey. I find this Single Malt to be "pretty good", with some interesting wine elements. The Teeling Small Batch Blended Whiskey I did not find attractive, and the Teeling Single Grain with Cabernet Sauvignon Finish I liked very much. My advise? Try before buying, maybe a mini...