A Visit to Teeling Whiskey in the Heart of Dublin

Nestled in the heart of Dublin lies The Liberties district. This ancient neighborhood was once home to numerous Irish distilleries, situated outside the city's castle walls, but now rests in the heart of Dublin. Here stands one of the most famous distilleries in Ireland: Teeling Whiskey Distillery.

We visited Teeling Whiskey and learned a wealth of information about the distillery in a private tour conducted by Adam Wall, brand ambassador for Teeling Whiskey.

As we admire the reception hall, where the desk is built from old whiskey barrel staves, Wall collects us. He ushers us into a room near the entrance. The distillery tour begins: we’re metaphorically walking through the history of Teeling Whiskey and Irish whiskey in general.

We learn that Teeling was established in 1782 by Walter Teeling just a stone's throw from its current location. At that time, there were 37 independent distilleries in operation, most of which could be found in the ‘Golden Whiskey Triangle’ (in The Liberties). Wall recounts the 'Great whiskey fire' of 1875 when numerous buildings and Teeling's warehouse were reduced to ashes. According to Wall, the scars of that tremendous fire are still visible in the basements of buildings like John Fallon's "The Capstan Bar", a few streets away from the distillery.

The tour at Teeling delves further into the golden age of Irish whiskey, featuring stories about times when Irish whiskey was scarce (with only two distilleries in operation!), the prohibition, Ireland's independence, and the revival of Teeling.

Wall vividly shares the past of Irish whiskey, but we gradually get closer to the present and the Teeling Distillery as we know it today. This storytelling derives from the brand's history and the Teeling family. Yet, the whiskey journey of owners Jack and Stephen Teeling didn't start with this brand.

In 1987, John Teeling purchases the Cooley Distillery, previously established by the Irish Free State Government. He transforms this facility, originally distilling alcohol from potatoes, into a whiskey distillery, opening its doors in 1989. Business flourishes, but in 2012, Teeling decides to sell the distillery to Beam International (of Jim Beam). Jack and Stephen, John Teeling's sons, decide to start their own distillery: Teeling Whiskey Distillery. The first whiskey from the new distillery sees the light of day in 2018. That year, the distillery opens as the first new Irish distillery in over 125 years.

Although this entire tale is clearly portrayed in the initial part of the Teeling tour, Wall points us toward the walls. The journey that Teeling and Ireland as a whiskey country have made over the years is depicted right on the walls. Not just within the tour section, but also throughout the distillery, the walls narrate the stories of Teeling, whiskey, and Dublin vividly.

The next room the amiable brand ambassador shows us, greets us with a wonderfully sweet scent. It feels like stepping into an old-fashioned Dutch candy store, but with the charm of whiskey. It's time to witness the distillery in action.

The cool thing about the distillery tour at Teeling Whiskey is that everything is visible, not a common occurrence in distilleries. Wall proudly tells us that we can examine not only the mash tuns, fermenters, and stills, but also the mill where the grain is ground. Wall passionately describes the intricate workings of Teeling. Fun fact: the three copper stills of Teeling Whiskey Distillery bear names – Allison, Natalie and Rebecca, named after Jack Teeling's daughters.

Further into the distillery, the brand ambassador shows us the various Teeling barrels aging the whiskeys. These include rum, bourbon, port, and Madeira barrels, but our eye is caught by a large gated area full of additional barrels. Wall informs us that this is the family vault, leading us to the next interesting fact.

Three sizable barrels center around the first batch of Teeling Whiskey Pot Still. On either side, baring the names of Stephen Teeling's daughters, Zoë and Holly, additional barrels sit. Filled on their respective birthdays, these casks await the girls' 18th birthdays to be presented as gifts, adorned with grand bow.

We reach the end of the distillery tour. Yet, a tour at Teeling means also tasting whiskey, which forms the next step. In the Bang Bang Bar, the brand ambassador introduced us to five delightful whiskeys: the Teeling Core range. These five whiskies showcase quite a spread of tastes.

The Teeling Core Range consists of the following whiskeys:

We had already sampled the Teeling 15 Year Old Single Grain whiskey alongside others from the brand. Savoring this series one after another was certainly quite an experience. After having tasted these whiskeys, we were left with one burning question. Wall not only plays the role of a brand ambassador at Teeling. He is also one of the familiar faces you often see in the Irish distillery's social media feeds offering a new cocktail.

He mixes up an amazing whiskey sour with Teeling Small Batch whiskey, lemon juice, egg white, and honey from bees who call the roof of the distillery their home. Naturally, we had to give this one a taste. And trust us: it was not a disappointment!

Expect an interview with Adam Wall on this website soon. Stay tuned? Want to book a tour when you're in Dublin? Of course, you can. Visit the official website.