Teeling has been one of the more interesting stories in Irish whiskey over the past decade. While the big names were busy protecting their turf, the Teeling brothers went and built Dublin's first new distillery in over a century, then started releasing whiskeys that actually had something to say. Their Single Grain expression is one I keep coming back to — not because it's flashy, but because it's quietly confident in a way that most grain whiskeys simply aren't.
Let's be honest: single grain whiskey doesn't get much love. It's the workhorse of blending, the stuff most drinkers walk past on their way to the single malts. Teeling's approach here is to treat grain whiskey as a destination rather than an ingredient, and at 46% ABV — non-chill filtered, I'd wager, given Teeling's general approach — they've given it the kind of bottling strength that says they actually want you to taste what's in the glass.
This is a NAS release, which in the grain whiskey world is less of a red flag than it might be elsewhere. Grain whiskey matures differently to malt, often picking up wood influence more quickly, and the lack of an age statement here lets Teeling's blenders work with flavour rather than numbers. What you're getting is a whiskey that's been finished in Californian red wine casks — a signature Teeling move that gives their grain a distinctly fruity, slightly vinous character that sets it apart from the more vanilla-heavy grain whiskeys coming out of Scotland.
Tasting Notes
I'll hold off on giving you a blow-by-blow breakdown of nose, palate, and finish here — I'd rather you discover those for yourself. What I will say is that this sits in the sweet spot between approachable and interesting. The wine cask influence is present but not overwhelming. There's enough grain character to remind you what you're drinking, enough cask work to keep things engaging, and enough body at 46% to carry it all without feeling heavy. It drinks younger than it tastes, if that makes sense.
The Verdict
At £46.25, the Teeling Single Grain sits in competitive territory. You could spend similar money on a decent blended malt or an entry-level single malt from any number of distilleries. What this gives you instead is something genuinely different — a grain whiskey that's been treated with the same care and attention you'd expect from a single malt release. It's not trying to be something it isn't. It's trying to show you that grain whiskey, done properly, is worth your time. And on that score, it succeeds.
I'm giving this a 7.8 out of 10. It's well-made, thoughtfully presented, and offers something you won't find in most whiskey collections. It loses a point or two for the lack of transparency around age — I'd like to know what I'm drinking — but the liquid in the bottle more than justifies the price. If you're the sort of drinker who's tried every Speyside going and wants something that'll make you think a bit, this is a smart buy.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn and give it ten minutes to open up — grain whiskey rewards patience. If you're feeling sociable, it also works brilliantly in a longer serve: try it with a good ginger ale and a squeeze of lime over ice. The wine cask sweetness plays beautifully against the spice of the ginger. It's the kind of drink that makes a Tuesday evening feel like a Friday.
