Teeling launches Poitín

The newly-created Teeling Whiskey Company has launched its own Poitín, the clear Irish spirit famous for its alcohol strength and traditionally distilled in a small pot still.

The term is a derivative of the Irish word ‘pota’ meaning ‘pot’.

Normally distilled from locally-produced cereals or potatoes, it’s one of the strongest alcoholic drinks in the world and for centuries was classified as illegal in Ireland.

One of the longest-established spirits in the world with a rich and varied history, Poitín has traditionally been associated with Ireland exclusively.

Jack Teeling, founder of the Teeling Whiskey Company, commented, “With the emergence of the interest in Non-Aged whiskies in the US and the desire of mixologists to have strong flavoursome white spirits, the opportunity for a legitimate high quality bottling of Poitín is greater than ever”.

The Teeling Whiskey Company’s first Poitín release consists of a combination of double-distilled spirit made from malted barley in traditional copper pot stills and triple-distilled spirit made from maize in modern column stills. This enables consumers to taste the “new make” spirit that after maturing for three years in oak barrels makes up many of the leading modern Irish whiskey brands, he added.

Bottling straight from the still with no maturation produces a surprisingly smooth spirit even for one that’s bottled at 61.5 per cent ABV, claimed Jack Teeling.

The Teeling Whiskey Company’s Poitín will retail for between €30-€35 a bottle.