Teeling Explorers Series Brazilian Edition

During our quarterly remote tasting with a group of friends, one of them was generous enough to share an international selection of drinks. First was a 14-year-old Tamdhu from Scotland. Second was the 2022 Chichibu Peated Edition from Japan. Third was the Chattanooga Islay Finish from America, bottled at 47.5% ABV. Fourth might have been a Thomson Saison Yeast Cask #39 from New Zealand, bottled at 53.4% ABV. Fifth may have been an Elements of Islay Bn7 from Scotland, distilled in 2001 and aged over 16 years in two oloroso sherry butts before being bottled at 55.7% ABV. The final drink of the evening was this 12-year-old Teeling from Ireland, aged in an Amburana cask and bottled at 46% ABV. The aroma is very direct yet pleasant, like pineapple upside down cake with a bit too much cinnamon and a mild ethanol sting. This carries over to the taste, which has a medium viscosity and slight tartness, followed by a finish that turns to an earthy clay bitterness, similar to enjoying cake before a sudden slap from an irritated partner after their pottery class because you stumbled upon a poorly hidden receipt for an expensive whiskey purchase. This began with promise, offering those smooth pineapple cake notes on the nose and palate, but the finish is just too much for me. I am more sensitive to bitter tastes than others, and that clay bitterness overwhelms all the delightful cake and pineapple notes that I wished would have lasted. Overall, this was another excellent remote tasting with an incredible lineup of tasty drinks, and I anticipate our next gathering and whatever surprises await our small circle.

Business trips are quite different from leisure travel. When visiting a city for vacation, there's always a list of attractions. During my recent business trip to London, I had my own itinerary, which included a stop at Cadenhead's shop in the city center. This was an unrealistic expectation, as my time was entirely consumed by the office and the hotel. However, I did manage to visit World of Whisky at LHR before my departure. There, I purchased this bottle. It provided plenty of Cadbury chocolates for the kids and a bottle of whisky for myself. I was specifically seeking something unavailable online and not sold in the US. The only two options that fit these criteria and were also reasonably priced (under £100) were this Teeling and Ardbeg's Smoketrails. I passed on the Ardbeg, knowing I would receive a sample from a friend. I had a small taste at the shop, but enjoyed a more generous pour when I opened my bottle last night. The initial aroma is strong alcohol and stone fruits. The alcohol scent dissipates, leaving only fruit and bread. The palate is where it truly shines. It presents fresh pineapple and green apple flavors, with a hint of baked pastries. The emphasis is clearly on fresh pineapple. I don't believe I've encountered whiskey aged in Amburana before; it's more commonly used for Cachaça. However, I'm observing this trend increasingly (Starlight with their bourbon, Whistlepig with their rye). It's another exotic cask, I suppose. This particular cask seems unique in imparting a fruity pineapple essence. Overall, it's not bad, but I'm uncertain if it justifies the £75 price tag. I feel it needed a few more years to develop maturity and didn't seem fully realized.

Thank you to a friend for providing a sample of this spirit. I believe this is my first experience with anything aged in Amburana, which is somewhat surprising given the recent prevalence of Amburana-finished bottles. Incidentally, I've been prohibited from several liquor stores for shaking sticks in them. The aroma and taste are strongly reminiscent of stewed cinnamon apples. It's very sweet, almost artificially so, coming across like a liqueur. I've never sampled an Ole Smoky flavored moonshine, but if they offered a flavor called Apple Pie Filling, this would be an accurate representation. I seem to enjoy this slightly more than previous reviewers, but it's too sweet for me to consume in large quantities. My one-ounce sample was divided into three separate tastings. It's an interesting and distinctive spirit. I can envision it being used in a creative cocktail, but I'm not particularly skilled at making cocktails.