Teeling Blackpitts Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey 750ML

Teeling Blackpitts Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey 750ML is Dublin's first peated single malt whiskey, triple distilled at 46% ABV from 100% malted barley. Awarded 9 out of 10 by Whisky Magazine, this expression challenges assumptions about Irish whiskey by delivering a richly smoky profile shaped by an unconventional dual-cask maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes French wine barrels.

Quick Facts: ABV: 46% (92 Proof)  |  Origin: Dublin, Ireland  |  NAS (No Age Statement)  |  Distillery: Teeling Distillery

Production & Heritage

Teeling Distillery opened in 2015 as Dublin's first new distillery in over 125 years, founded by Jack and Stephen Teeling — members of a family with deep roots in Irish whiskey dating to 1782. Blackpitts takes its name from the historic Dublin neighborhood once associated with malt kilns and smoke. The whiskey is made from 100% peated malted barley and triple distilled in copper pot stills, a process that strips away the harsh, medicinal qualities often found in Scottish peated malts while allowing a cleaner barbecue-smoke character to emerge. Maturation occurs first in ex-bourbon casks, then finishes in ex-Sauternes French wine casks, adding layers of stone fruit sweetness and honeyed depth to the smoke. The whiskey is bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with pronounced BBQ smoke and warm cloves before softening into butterscotch and bright orange peel. There is a pleasant savory undercurrent beneath the sweetness that signals the peat without overwhelming it.

Taste: On entry, applewood smoke coats the palate alongside raw honey and allspice. The mid-palate broadens with stewed pears and grilled pineapple — a tropical turn that reflects the Sauternes cask influence. Dried fruit and dark chocolate emerge toward the peak, grounding the sweetness with earthy depth.

Finish: Medium-long and textured, with salted caramel and gentle wood tannins fading into a persistent savory smoke. The balance between sweet and smoky lingers well after the final sip.

How to Drink Blackpitts

Blackpitts rewards neat sipping at room temperature, where the interplay between peat smoke and Sauternes sweetness is most apparent. A few drops of water open the fruit notes further without dampening the smoke. For cocktails, try a Penicillin — the applewood smoke and honey slot naturally into the drink's ginger-lemon framework. A Rob Roy benefits from the whiskey's salted caramel and spice notes adding complexity alongside sweet vermouth. In a Smoky Old Fashioned, Blackpitts delivers the campfire character typically supplied by Islay Scotch while contributing a cleaner, less iodine-heavy finish.

Best For

• Scotch peat lovers exploring Irish whiskey for the first time
• Gifting a whisky enthusiast something genuinely unusual
• Blind-tasting nights comparing Irish and Scottish peated expressions
• Building a home bar with versatile smoke-forward spirits

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Blackpitts taste like? Blackpitts delivers applewood smoke, honey, and allspice up front, transitioning into stewed pears, grilled pineapple, and dark chocolate, with a salted caramel and savory smoke finish. The triple distillation keeps the peat clean and barbecue-like rather than medicinal or ashy.

How does Blackpitts compare to Deanston 12 Year Old? Deanston 12 is an unpeated Highland single malt aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, producing a lighter, malty, and honeyed profile without smoke. Blackpitts occupies a fundamentally different space — heavily peated and finished in Sauternes wine casks — making it bolder and more complex on the smoke and fruit axes while sharing a similar approachable sweetness.

Is Blackpitts good for sipping neat? Yes — the 46% ABV and non-chill-filtered bottling deliver full body and texture that make it well-suited to neat drinking. A small splash of water can further reveal the fruit character underneath the smoke.

Where is Blackpitts made? Blackpitts is distilled at the Teeling Distillery in the Liberties neighborhood of Dublin, Ireland. The name references the nearby Blackpitts area, historically linked to Dublin's malt-drying operations.

What foods pair well with Blackpitts? Smoked salmon or gravlax mirrors the whiskey's clean smoke. Aged Gouda or Comté echoes the caramel and savory notes. Grilled stone fruit with honey complements the Sauternes-cask sweetness. Dark chocolate with sea salt picks up the salted caramel finish. Charred pork belly aligns with the barbecue smoke character on the palate.

What sizes does Blackpitts come in? Blackpitts is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Blackpitts worth the price? Blackpitts positions as a mid-premium peated single malt, competing with well-regarded Scottish and Irish expressions in its tier. The combination of triple distillation, dual-cask maturation, 46% non-chill-filtered bottling, and a 9-out-of-10 rating from Whisky Magazine represents strong value for a genuinely distinctive category entry.

Why Blackpitts?

Blackpitts holds a legitimate claim as the first peated single malt whiskey distilled in Dublin, giving it a historical footnote that few NAS releases can match. The triple distillation is not merely traditional — it actively reshapes the peat character, stripping away iodine and medicinal harshness to foreground clean, barbecue-style smoke that reads differently from Islay or Highland peated Scotch. The ex-Sauternes finish is an uncommon pairing with heavy peat, and the result — tropical fruit, salted caramel, and sweet smoke in a single glass — positions Blackpitts as one of the more inventive peated malts on the market today. A 9-out-of-10 score from Whisky Magazine confirms this is not novelty for its own sake but a well-executed whiskey that earns its place.