Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

So, I've spent the past week working long (and mostly overnight) hours while battling a head cold. I finally started to feel better late Thursday night and I finally earned a long weekend off. I was literally licking my chops at getting back into my Scottish distillery tour group and pounding down a few samples to catch up. Right on cue, the weather turned brutally cold here in VA, too. Perfect for a weekend indoors and sipping to keep warm. The problem is that I'm not feeling it. Plenty of excellent single malts lined up on the bar and all I find myself doing is mixing cheap whisky with Coca Cola. My palate and my heart just ain't in it. So rather than fight it I decided to roll with it. Thankfully, I think I discovered the perfect mixing dram: Teeling Small Batch (Rum Barrel finished). This thing is perfect with soda. The coconut rum sweetness, the vanilla and oak barrel sweetness and the smoothness of an Irish juice. It melds so damn perfectly. Toss in the fact it's readily available for under $30 and I don't think I'll ever let my home bar go without a bottle. I took a little nip of it neat and all those flavors listed above are just magnified. Coconut, sweet vanilla and the smooth, creamy warmth that's associated with Irish whiskey. If you are a whiskey/rum and Coke type of person you should do yourself a favor and try this. It's the best of both worlds. Even neat, I have to give this one close to 4 stars. Add in the cheap price point and the fact it plays so well with soda and I'm inclined to bump it to a 5. I think it deserves it. Give it a try when you're in the mood to explore. Cheers, my friends.

It was okay. Not much to taste or smell. Wouldn't buy again.