Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

At first pour, I was dismayed at the horrible mistake I'd made in wasting $40 on this bottle. Not one to easily quit, I gave it another go on a different day, and after a bit of work, found I don't actively dislike it as I'd first thought... Very mild and light on the nose; almost delicate. A few hints of the tropics appear, coconut, tropical fruit (think mango and pineapple), a hint of molasses, but it's little more than a background tune to the front-runners of corn syrup, honey, and a bit of earthiness. The earthiness carries into the palate, which is very smooth and creamy, and leads with a very mineral-rich flavor before turning to the traditional Irish flowers and grass. There are hints of citrus, (lemon-grass?) which are complemented by a sweetness that I can't quite put my finger on...maybe light molasses? In any event the tropical flavors are present in the background but never really do much more than pop up from time to time, as if to remind you that it's not just regular whiskey. The finish is short, starts sweet and turns slightly astringent before fading to nothing. If I had to do rum-finish, this would be the way to do it (The Balvenie is just way too funky), but I doubt I'll ever voluntarily do a rum finish whiskey again. If you're looking for a good Irish that isn't overly peaty, go with Green Thumb, Tyrconnel, or Knappogue Castle. If you want peat and smoke, try Red Breast, Bushmills Black Bush, or Jameson 12. All of them do their individual thing better than Teeling Small Batch, and each of them is a better overall Irish Whiskey.

My latest purchase in the quest to find decent drams in the $30-$40 range. While the price of Scotch continues to skyrocket I've made this a personal mission of mine to find bottles I can drink frequently without breaking the bank. Nose: Alcohol, alcohol and alcohol, Maybe some citrus and grass behind it. Palate: There is some hidden fruit that reveals itself after a splash of water. Banana pudding and lemon peel. Finish: Bitter and acidic. not sure what the rum cask did for this either other than sweetness. This is a slightly better Jameson and that's about it. Just too young and rough. Got it on sale for $35 and wouldn't pay a penny more as there are better options at this price out there. Puzzled by some of the high ratings for this.

Very smooth. I'll get this again.