Teeling PX Brandy Chestnut

Teeling Distillery has arguably the largest, most diverse Irish Whiskey product range in the market as of 2023. Teeling's whiskey offerings extend far beyond their core range Small Batch (rum finish) blend, Single Grain (red wine finish) NAS, and Single Malt (multi-cask) NAS. For blends, Teeling offers the Small Batch in various finishes, most epitomized by their Sommelier Selection Series. Aged Single Grains and Single Malts range from 13 years to over 30 years in a multitude of wine finishes, single casks, and abv strength. This vast range is comprised of stock primarily retained from the sale of the Cooley Distillery to Beam Suntory in 2012.

What is now adding to their vast portfolio are a range of Single Pot Still style whiskeys aged/finished in a host of interesting casks. Teeling was the first new distillery to produce Single Pot Still in Dublin back in 2018. Since that initial 3yr release of 50% malted and 50% unmalted barley, further maturation and cask types have created a range of Single Pot Still whiskeys to encroach on the category style once exclusive to only Midleton Distillery. 

In the past few years, Teeling has utilized unique casks to highlight the wood impact on their Single Pot Still. Virgin Oak, Chinkapin Oak, and Virgin Portuguese Oak are a few of the wood types recently used. The subject of this Irish Whiskey review is one of the most unique yet, the PX Brandy Chestnut Cask.

Many are likely familiar with PX Sherry, the sweet, fortified wine common as an after dinner or dessert drink or for use in whiskey finishing. PX brandy is similar in that it is made using the same Pedro Ximenez grapes from Jerez in Southern Spain; however, brandy is made by distilling the grape juice similar to how whiskey is made. 

Ximenez Spinola is a small family bodega renowned for making brandies. For this Teeling release, their single pot still spirit was matured in a Chestnut wood cask that formerly aged PX Brandy from Ximinez Spinola.

Teeling has released these expressions as single cask bottlings typically through different retail liquor outlets. This expression is a wonderfulIy unique Irish whiskey due to the combination of unusual PX Brandy finishing in a Chestnut rather than typical oak wood cask. Starting with the signature style of single pot still with its spice and creamy mouthfeel, the whiskey then acquires the sweet dried fruit flavors from the PX brandy before capturing further spicy nutmeg and cinnamon qualities from the Chestnut wood. Released at cask strength, the single cask bottlings typically range between 57%-59% abv. If you see one in your local store, grab it while you can.

While this Irish Whiskey can certainly be enjoyed year round, the combination of dried fruit and chestnut flavors makes this a particularly beautiful Christmastime beverage. This one can be nosed for days with heavy fruit and wood aromas. Eventually you need to drink but this lovely liquid is almost more chewy. This is a worthy sipping Irish Whiskey so sit back, relax, and enjoy.