Tasting notes for the Teeling Renaissance collection

Teeling 18 years old, Renaissance No. 1, bottled at 46 % abv

Makeup: Bottled in 2019 in a batch of 9000 bottles. Finished in Madeira casks.

General impressions: Straight away one of the darker liquids in the series. The nose is not as expressive as I would have hoped, the Madeira finish probably cloying the general character of the whiskey. Not bad at all, but very cloaked. Nice herbs, some toffee and caramel, perhaps some spiciness. Better dive in for a taste. Surprisingly bitter on the start, but infused with red (or even dark purple) fruit, like cherry. Or cherry bonbons, with a first bite in the chocolate and then the liqueur inside burst into your mouth. On the finish I pick up lots of different tropical fruits, revealing that the source of this whiskey (that could not have been distilled yet at Teeling) is the Cooley Distillery. Remember, in the Irish whiskey landscape it is allowed to source spirit from elsewhere and release it under your own name. Common practise.

Score: 87 points

Teeling 18 years old, Renaissance No. 2, bottled at 46 % abv

Makeup: Bottled in 2020 in a batch of 9000 bottles. Finished in Ex-Australian Shiraz casks.

General impressions: Moving on to a wine finished expression. The first whiffs are actually quite modest when you expect wine terror, but this is nice, with hints of furniture polish and fruity dust. Some warm chocolate croissants just out of the oven. Like the first Renaissance, this is not very expressive. On the palate, one is confronted with a bitter note mixed with light white fruits, like grapes, pears, green apples. The finish is moderately dry but the casks have sadly overpowered the tropical fruitiness that I did find in the first Renaissance. Wine finishes are an acquired taste, so this whiskey might not be for everyone. Composure is excellent though, balance is good, no off-notes, just a matter of liking wine influences in your whiskey.

Score: 83 points

Teeling 18 years old, Renaissance No. 3, bottled at 46 % abv

Makeup: Bottled in 2021 in a batch of 9000 bottles. Finished in Ex-Muscat Wine casks.

General impressions: Muscat wine this time, should give a sweeter flair to this Teeling series. It shows on the nose, with concentrated grape juice rising from the glass. But there is also a hint of minerals and limestone, making this a more complex expression in the Renaissance series. After some breathing it turns a little more tropical. If there ever was a seductive whiskey, this Teeling is it. Somehow I am reminded of a regular scene, when my wife is getting ready to go out to dinner or the theatre with me, puts on a nice perfume and then stands close to me when I open the door for her. A classic smell. The taste stays close to the white grape juice, very balanced and covering the tongue with sweet fruits. For this one I made an exception and added just a drop of water, to see if more fruits are hidden in there. There are, and they are delicious. Luscious is the best word to describe this belter of a whiskey.

Score: 89 points.

Teeling 18 years old, Renaissance No. 4, bottled at 46 % abv

Makeup: Bottled in 2021 in a batch of 9000 bottles. Finished in Pineau des Charentes casks.
General impressions: Pineau des Charentes is a fortified wine from the Cognac region. It is sweeter than traditional Cognac. Still, like the Muscat, the aroma is not exclusively about sweet tones rising from the glass. There is a mountain air there too. Wet limestone, very subtle, but enough to leave a signature. There is also some honeyed hints, like a good drop of it in a cup of steaming hot tea. A nice variation once on the basis of the regularly matured Teeling whiskey. Taking a sip reveals something very interesting, in that the finish did not seem to integrate well with the whiskey. It is as if there is a light layer of film over the core of it. So, when you drink, you get the sweetness of the cask finish first, and then a hit of the rest, a more traditional Irish whiskey character. This leaves me a bit underwhelmed. I did not like the Shiraz influence too much, but at least it was balanced. This leaves something to be desired.

Score: 82 points

Teeling 18 years old, Renaissance No. 5, bottled at 46 % abv

Makeup: Bottled in 2022 in a batch of 9000 bottles. Finished in Calvados casks.

General impressions: Calvados is only recently added to the options whisk(e)y makers have to finish their products in, together with mezcal and tequila. Before I tasted a Kilchoman that was finished in Calvados, for instance. Sticking my nose in this glass, I get the feeling I indeed reached the final of this Renaissance series. It is bursting with fruit, very precise, loads of apples obviously but also some tropical notes from peaches, white grapes and a hint of tangerine. The taste is truly tropical, making this rise above the rest of the entries here. Lovely finale indeed! A whiskey leaving you wanting more.

Score: 90 points