Teeling Small Batch Baltic Porter Cask Finish 46% 700ml

Teeling x Genys Baltic Porter Cask Finish
A Maritime Marriage of Malt and Stout

Teeling has long worn the mantle of modern Irish experimentation with flair. From rum to wine, from chestnut to Hungarian oak, their cask finishes are not novelty acts - they are flavour extensions. This collaboration with Genys, a craft brewer based in Kaunas, is something rarer still: a whisky finished in a cask that once held Baltic Porter, a style of beer known for its smooth body, roasted malt character, and hints of coffee and chocolate.

This is not a cask finish you see every day - and certainly not one that's easy to balance. But balance it they have.

The nose is a tapestry of dark and light: malt loaf, roasted cacao nibs, and toffee apple lead the charge, followed by deeper notes of chestnut, burnt sugar, and a trace of smoked vanilla. There's a stouty richness to it, yes - but also a kind of coastal lift. A breeze of sea salt, or perhaps just the memory of the Baltic itself.

On the palate, it begins with dark honey, espresso crema, and a distinct note of baked fig. The porter influence is clear, but it does not dominate. Instead, it sits beside the Teeling malt character - that fresh orchard fruit, those delicate cereal sugars, and a pinch of clove. The mouthfeel is particularly fine: rounded, silken, with just enough grip to remind you this is no liqueur, but a proper spirit. Mid-palate, there's a flicker of dried hop bitterness, but it fades into molasses, blackcurrant, and light char.

The finish is surprisingly elegant: brown bread crust, dark chocolate shavings, and a final echo of porter malt - gently roasted, never acrid. It lingers like the last note of a cello in an empty room.

A Bridge Between Brewers and Distillers
What makes this expression so rewarding isn't the novelty - it's the discipline. Teeling hasn't used the porter cask as a paint roller, smothering the whisky beneath layers of stout residue. Instead, it's been used as a frame, bringing out darker hues in the malt, adding length, structure, and just a touch of wildness.

This is a whisky for those who appreciate both craft beer and fine spirits - who understand that collaboration can yield not just marketing buzz, but something genuinely characterful.

Final Thought
Teeling x Genys Baltic Porter Cask is more than a limited edition - it's a statement of shared values: curiosity, craft, and a refusal to colour inside the lines. It's not flashy. It's not gimmicky. It's unexpectedly mature, deeply satisfying, and just unusual enough to be unforgettable.

It's not just a whisky.
It's a stout-hearted voyage, bottled in Dublin and brewed in Kaunas.