The world’s best single malt lands in Australia

The Teeling 24 Year Old Single Malt, recently named the World’s Best Single Malt at the 2019 World Whiskies Awards is available again in Australia, but get in quick because when this allocation is gone – it’s all gone.

Teeling’s Asia Pacific Commercial Manager, Martin Lynch, told Bars and Clubs he has managed to secure 300 cases for Australia, much to the annoyance of his counterparts in Europe, but there is no more at the distillery, so this is it.

“There was huge demand after winning the award, it’s oversubscribed 10 fold. Within 24 hours of winning the award it was gone off the shelves in Australia,” Lynch said.

“It’s great to be able to give Australia’s whiskey connoisseurs the opportunity to get their hands on this whiskey again. I know the guys who do my job in Europe were giving me grief that I managed to get an allocation of more of the whiskey down here to Australia.

“It’s completely gone from our distillery, we don’t have any more and there won’t be any more unfortunately, so it’s pretty special.”

In describing the whiskey, Lynch said: “It’s got a really nice sweetness, it’s got a lovely influence from the Sauternes casks that we finished it in. So there’s some nice peach characters coming through and some toffee and caramel. Also, what’s quite unique and you don’t see it much in Irish whiskey, is there’s a little hint of smoke in the whiskey.”

In addition to the 24 Year Old, Teeling is also releasing a 17 Year Old Single Malt which has been finished in Jim Barry Shiraz casks. The whiskey was aged for 16 years in ex-bourbon barrels before spending a year in the casks which were shipped to Ireland in-tact, the day after the wine was decanted.

This unique whiskey features concentrated dark fruit flavours of blackberry and cherry intermingled with liquorice and creamy oak, creating a Single Malt to be savoured.

“The Barry’s have been creating world-class wine from the Clare Valley region for 60 years and we saw many synergies between ourselves and brothers Sam and Tom Barry.  With their connection to Ireland, to running a successful family business, to perfecting their craft through the generations.  This fantastic collaboration between our families has resulted in a one of a kind expression with only 2,000 bottles available around the world”, said Founder Jack Teeling, Teeling Whiskey.

Also arriving early August is the Teeling Whiskey Imperial Stout Cask Finish – a small batch collaboration with the Galway Bay Brewery based on the west coast of Ireland. “Teeling Whiskey Company and Galway Bay Brewery, one of Ireland’s most celebrated craft breweries, have been collaborating for years, on what has now become the cult classic ‘200 Fathoms’ beer – a modern interpretation of an Imperial Stout. The new whiskey brings the collaboration full circle,” Teeling said.

The taste is sweet malt, roasted barley, sour fruits and black cherries, with a finish of Seville oranges, digestive biscuits, honeycomb and cream.

While Lynch did say the price point of the 24 Year Old and 17 Year Old – $600 and $200 respectively – does mean they are meant to be enjoyed as sipping whiskies, the Stout Cask Finish is definitely something for bartenders to have some fun with.

“With our flagship whiskey, the Teeling Small Batch, that is finished in rum casks, but with this one instead of using rum, we’ve finished it in the Imperial Stout casks. So it’s similar in style to our flagship whiskey but with it being 46 per cent ABV and non-chill filtered there’s a bit more mouthfeel in the whiskey and a bit more spice and flavour.

“There’s some lovely coffee notes, a bit of liquorice and dark chocolate and this is a whiskey that lends itself to a boilermaker, but we have definitely been encouraging bartenders to play around with it.”

The whiskies were officially launched earlier this week in Melbourne’s Whisky & Alement, a place Lynch holds dear.

“It was the first place I ever did a whiskey tasting, when we launched in Australia five years ago, so going back there with the world’s best single malt and a local collaboration with an Australian winery is really good.”

The three new whiskies have arrived and are now available in Australia.