St Patrick's Day being the 17th of March, I bought a bottle of the Second Edition of their Wonders of Wood series, a 50.0% Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey - Virgin Portuguese Oak from Dublin distillery Teeling, the first new distillery to open in Dublin for over 125 years in 2015 (website). As usual for Irish whiskey this was triple distilled, and created from 50% malted and 50% un-malted Irish Barley, then this edition aged in virgin Portuguese oak casks.
Portuguese oak, native to the Iberian Peninsula, "has a higher tannin content than other oak variants normally used in the Whiskey industry." Consequently bringing unique flavours when used for maturation. A nice deep golden colour, with a sweet, but spicy aroma, with hints of ginger and oak wood. To taste, less sweet than Irish whiskeys can be, but amazingly gentle considering the strength, with orange marmalade, apricot and vanilla to taste, finishing a little spicy, notably nutmeg, and a subtle woodiness too; I noted the alcohol goes down gently at the back of the mouth. A wee bit special for March Whiskey of the Month, nice one, sláinte! 👍💚
I've a wee bit left for tomorrow... 😉
Please note that, in "collaboration with the Tree Council of Ireland every release in the Wonders of Wood series will work towards the reforestation of a designated area of woodland in Ireland with exclusively native Irish trees. The first release allowed for an acre of native oak trees to be planted in the Glencree region of County Wicklow just outside of Dublin. The second release will allow for a second acre to be planted this time in County Dublin, again in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland." A good cause indeed. 🌳🌳🌳
