Teeling 1991 29 Year Old Rum Cask TWE Exclusive

This is an exclusive bottling by Teeling for TWE of a 29-year-old single malt that was distilled in 1991 then aged in a single rum cask and finally bottled at 52.4% ABV that I was able to get a sample of to dive into. The nose starts with a mix of guava, kiwi, papaya, crème brûlée and leather-bound books then light florals, honeycomb and dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts followed by caramelized mangoes, lychee and bananas foster that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of guava, dehydrated kiwi, papaya, crème brûlée and leather-bound books then a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans, honeysuckle and macadamia nuts followed by charred pineapple, gooseberries and caramelized mangoes that transitions to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with guava, dark chocolate covered pineapple, fried bananas, vanilla seeds, mild black pepper spice, leather-bound books and mildly bitter black tea. The nose is an amazing balance of creamy tropical fruits with subtle notes of light earthy spices and the well-aged oak that pulls you in for a taste, but the balance found on the nose fails to carry over to the taste which starts creamy and sweet before quickly turning towards a moderate bitterness that slowly fades to allow those tropical notes through again and finishes starting on the sweeter side with light earthy notes before gradually building into mildly bitter black tea. I was ecstatic to explore this one, as it’s the oldest Irish whisky I’ve tried so far, but at a price of over $600+ per bottle, for me, this doesn’t justify its premium cost and there’s plenty of options I enjoy more that cost far less.