I have taken a liking to Irish whiskey as a (slight) alternative to Scotch. When tasting Irish whiskey, I have to remind myself that, though Irish and Scotch whiskey are inherently the same, they are not the same; they are cousins. That being said, I do try to compare apples to apples (or Irish to Irish) for comparative/experience purposes. That being said, this Teeling ranks high in my Irish experience. Pale straw in color, the nose is initially greeted with tropical notes, from the rum casks. This fades to a sweet cereal (Frosted Flakes), dried pineapple and honey. Rightly sweet. The first sip is instantly drying and spicy which causes an initial surprised reaction given the sweet nose. The sweeter side does eventually come through. Pears, honey, vanilla and a touch of brown sugar along with some herbal notes of ginger along with a pinewood-like quality. A zingy sensation remains on the palate with a medium length finish. Drying, with all the qualities previously experienced of oak, pears, vanilla/honey and ginger ale. As others have experienced, this has it’s cousins Scotch-like Dalwhinnie quality. Yet, it more closely has a sibling-like quality to Knappogue Castle 14. A very enjoyable whiskey that does not seem rushed or forced. Teeling, in my opinion, is becoming a Irish force representing craft quality in Irish whiskey. Lastly, I greatly appreciate Sir Pranay’s generosity allowing me the fortune of tasting this whiskey. Also as well as many others that I would have difficulty attaining or encountering. In addition, I find that this Distiller community has really encouraged the whisk(e)y experience for us all. It is nice to see the sharing of each of our personal stocks, without hesitation and with great pleasure. [Dry Glass: Butterscotch][90/100][Tasted: 1/28/17]