Tag: Single Grain

Teeling Single Malt and Silver Reserve 21yo

Fans of Irish Whiskey should by now be no stranger to the name Teeling, and the new Teeling Single Malt is turning heads in the Irish whiskey industry, as is the new Silver Reserve 21yo.  The Teeling name and family claims distilling heritage back to 1782 when Walter Teeling set up his distillery in Dublin.  However, things get more interesting if you fast forward two centuries to 1987, when John Teeling established Cooley Distillery and instantly changed the landscape of the Irish whiskey industry at that time.  The number of whiskey distilleries in Ireland had fallen from over 100 in 1886 to just two survivors by 1970.  Cooley was not just a breath of fresh air, but an injection of life, independence, new thinking, and new styles of whiskey into the Irish industry.  When Cooley eventually sold to Beam Inc. in 2011, the stage was set for John Teeling to start another chapter in his life, going on to form the Irish Whiskey Company with a group of investors, including his two sons, Jack & Stephen Teeling.  Whilst that company is currently focussing on converting an old brewery in Dundalk into a distillery, brothers Jack & Stephen have formed their own company, Teeling Whiskey Company, and set about bringing out new whiskies for the public to enjoy.

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When Irish eyes are Teeling

Looking for the origin story about Teeling Whiskey?  Below is the piece we wrote at the start of 2015, which still holds up…

Whilst the Scotch whisky industry continues to bubble along and keep everyone moderately happy as long as we’ve all got a filled Glencairn in our hand, the real gossip and excitement in the whisk(e)y community right now seems to be with what’s happening in other countries.

The recent media storm over Jim Murray’s latest edition of his Whisky Bible got everyone talking about Japanese whisky, and similar waves went around the globe when Australia’s Sullivan’s Cove was awarded best whisky in the world by Whisky Magazine last year.  And whisky brands like Kavalan (Taiwan), Mackmyra (Sweden), and Paul John or Amrut (India) continue to make the transition from being a modest curiosity to players with major followings, reach and – more critically – quality product.

And so, with all sectors of the whisky industry in growth and development, it’s no surprise that Irish whiskey is also making waves and changing the landscape.  Consider the following recent events:

  • Irish whiskey has been identified as the fastest growing distilled spirit category in the world. That means its growth is outpacing bourbon, vodka, tequila, Scotch, brandy, and so on.
  • Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent distillery (at the time) was sold to Beam Inc. in 2011.
  • Diageo sold Bushmills Distillery to tequila giant Casa Cuervo in 2014.
  • William Grant & Sons purchased the Tullamore Dew brand in 2010, and last year completed the construction of a massive new distillery at Tullamore
  • Former Bruichladdich leader, Mark Reynier, recently announced his next venture would be a new Irish whiskey distillery in Waterford.
  • In 2013, there were just four operating whiskey distilleries in Ireland. The Irish Spirits Association expects this number to grow to 15 in the next few years.

While the decline of the Irish whiskey industry in the 20th century and the reasons for it are well documented, its recent growth and renaissance is truly something worth celebrating.  And all the more so, when both independence and tradition team up and jump out of the page.  And that, ladies and gents, is where Teeling Whiskey fits in.

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