There's a particular kind of restlessness that defines the best Irish whiskey right now — a refusal to sit still, to keep pouring the same liquid into the same glass and calling it tradition. Teeling has been at the front of that charge since they opened Dublin's first new distillery in over a century, and this Small Batch Dot Brew IPA Finish is exactly the kind of collaboration that keeps things interesting.
The premise is straightforward: take Teeling's Small Batch blend — itself already a departure from convention, finished in rum casks — and give it a secondary maturation in casks that previously held IPA from Dublin's Dot Brew craft brewery. At 46% ABV and non-chill filtered, they've had the good sense to let the liquid speak without stripping it back. That's a detail worth noting. Too many limited editions dress up a timid whiskey in fancy packaging. This one actually commits to the experiment.
I'll be honest — I was skeptical. Beer finishes can go sideways fast. The hop bitterness can bully the spirit, leaving you with something that tastes like neither good whiskey nor good beer. But Teeling have form here. Their core Small Batch already plays well with unconventional cask influence, and the rum-sweetened base gives the IPA finish something substantial to push against. The result, at least in concept, is a whiskey that should carry hop-driven citrus and a dry, slightly bitter edge over that characteristic Teeling tropical sweetness.
Tasting Notes
I'm holding off on detailed tasting notes for now — I want to revisit this bottle over several sessions before committing specific descriptors to the page. What I will say is that the interplay between the base spirit's natural approachability and the IPA cask influence creates something genuinely distinct in the Irish category. This isn't a whiskey that tastes like beer. It's a whiskey that has absorbed some of beer's personality — its dryness, its herbal edge — without losing its own identity. At 46%, there's enough weight to carry those layers.
The Verdict
At £39.50, this sits in a sweet spot. You're paying a modest premium over the standard Small Batch for a limited release that actually delivers something different, not just different packaging. It's the kind of bottle I'd recommend to someone who drinks good craft beer and has been circling whiskey from a distance — the flavour bridge is real, and it's well-constructed. For the seasoned drinker, it's a genuine curiosity piece that earns its place on the shelf rather than just occupying it.
Teeling continue to prove that Dublin's revival isn't just about nostalgia. They're building something forward-looking, and collaborations like this — rooted in their own city's craft scene — give the brand a sense of place that feels earned rather than manufactured. A 7.7 feels right: this is a confident, well-executed whiskey that does exactly what it sets out to do, and does it without pretension.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open up. If you're feeling adventurous, try it alongside a half-pint of a good West Coast IPA — the two won't compete so much as have a conversation. On a warm evening, a single large ice cube wouldn't be a crime; the dilution may actually coax out more of the hop character from the cask finish. Skip the cocktail shaker on this one — it deserves your attention undiluted.
