Today I look at a world whisky from Finland; the Teerenpeli single malt whisky. Whisky is not usually associated with Finland. It is a country associated with cold, dark snowy nights, vodka and a close proximity to the Russian bear and centuries of Russian aggression. Vodka definitely, but not whisky.
Teerenpeli started as a restaurant with a microbrewery in 1995 in the city of Lahti in Finland. And what is the next step when you make great food and great beer? You open a distillery. The Teerenpeli distillery began operating in 2002.
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Teerenpeli Single Malt is distilled with Finnish malted barley and with fresh groundwater from the Salpausselkä ridge. The distillery has the traditional pot-still set up. One of the reviews mentioned that Teerenpeli whisky had used Highland Park as the inspiration for their small pots’ shape.
When I found this whisky last year at The Whisky Exchange in London, I had to buy it. It is the perfect addition to my whisky collection, and it was from a country that I had no idea could make whisky.
Teerenpeli Whisky Review
This 8 yo single malt whisky is bottled from a selection of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
COUNTRY: Finland
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: Rich gold
NOSE: Notes of floral and light citrus with a hint of oak. It is a smooth, delicate whisky.
PALATE: Barley and oak, florals with fruits and vanilla. The Teerenpeli is a lovely medium-bodied whisky with an oily finish. The florals and some caramel and spice continue in the finish. It has a wonderful body for such a young whisky, and it is clean and light.
RATING: EXCELLENT.
It is a distillery to keep an eye on in future. When I found the Teerenpeli whisky, I did not worry too much about the taste or rating. I just wanted to add a whisky from Finland to my collection.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It is still a relatively young whisky compared to some of the other bottles in my collection, only 8 years old. But what a good 8 years it has been!
Pairing this sweet clean whisky should be done carefully as not to overwhelm the whisky. A fruit-infused 60% chocolate would probably work nicely with this Teerenpeli whisky. What else would you pair this sweet light whisky with?
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