Teeling Brabazon Bottling Series 2 Review And Tasting Notes
The Teeling Brabazon bottling series 2 is a hot and fiery Irish whiskey. Very strong, it does not hold back, but after slapping you with a potent alcoholic whip, it immediately caresses you with a caramelized red fruit. After the Teeling Brabazon bottling series 1, which aged in sherry barrels, with the number 2, we moved on to aging in barrels used to produce Port wine and the difference is remarkable. It travels on a whole different register.
Endless red fruits, ripe oxidized tones, medicinal echoes, spice and vanilla, but this malt fleshiness is crazy. It almost bites. You can practically taste oranges, plums and dates on the tongue with the scent of Port in the background, tannic to finish, but at the same time sumptuous and velvety.
How Teeling Brabazon bottling series 2 is produced
This mythical whiskey results from a vatting of the house’s single malts, which have aged for at least 9 years in three types of Porto casks: tawny, Porto Blanco and Ruby. Obviously, we are talking about distillates born from a triple distillation in the classic Irish style. The complex refinement has allowed these nectars to develop an imposing fruity charge: the tannins, sweetness and spiciness of the port wine have slipped into the massive and powerful fibers of the whiskey, shaping it with a soft touch.
Organoleptic characteristics
The bouquet is opulent, decadent and rich: imagine all the regal suggestions of port wine, but then add the biscuit tones of malt. An endless red fruit that sinks into a rainbow of orange jams, berries, plums: there is everything. The spices are penetrating, sweet at the beginning, but penetrating at the end with a storm of nutmeg.
Oxidized tones of dried fruit and honey, candied citron, floral finish with even more oxidized medicinal tones. Overall, it is a splendid and sumptuous nose, perhaps a little too cheeky and exquisite for purists, but it manages to maintain a commendable finesse despite the richness.
On the palate, it beats, it is consistent with the nose, the same flavors are found, but it is finely drawn by fresh flavors of citrus and overripe fruit. Heat and pepper are felt with 49.5 of alcohol, but the tannins are there to straighten the distillate towards severity.
The rhythm is a play of light and shadow: jam, black cherries and blueberries alternating with spicy returns, then turns to nutty, then back to jam, then cloves with caramel that draws sweet and sunny arabesques.
Nutty, tannic finish with walnuts and almonds.
It is an Irish whiskey on steroids. It leaves no way out. It first catches you in the nose, flattering you and then giving you a couple of alcoholic slaps, but with class, without ever being overbearing.
It is not a linear or subtle whiskey. On the contrary, it is a synthesis of whimsy and swooping flights of fancy, but it is worth tasting. There are not many whiskeys with such an original, lashing and baroque stylistic approach and in fact, it is a special edition, produced in a limited edition of 12,500 bottles.
Price
80 euros: excellent price for an ambitious whiskey, which will amaze you with its great aromatic breadth and the infinite spectrum of suggestions. A symphony that we would like to hear more often.
Cocktails to make
Irish Coffee, Whiskey sour, Rob Roy, Godfather, Rusty Nail, Penicillin.
Food Pairings
Chocolate cupcakes, cheesecakes, ciambella, Tiramisù and chocolate salami.