London brewery and cidery, Umbrella London announce their partnership with Dublin’s Teeling Distillery to bring two brand new limited edition collaborative products to the market; the Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey, and a Teeling Whiskey finished Umbrella London Ginger Beer, alongside a Teeling Whiskey X Umbrella London gift set for Christmas 2020, all available for presale from Monday 2nd November.
The collaborative products were born out of a shared passion for local and traditionally inspired, contemporary products which push boundaries. Both Umbrella London and Teeling Whiskey have drawn on the expertise of their teams including Teeling Master Distiller and Master Blender Alex Chasko and Head Brewer Matt Armitage to launch two new and exciting products, both of which are world firsts.
In partnership with Umbrella London, Teeling’s Master Distiller hand selected casks of the team’s finest Ginger Beer to create a truly unique Irish Whiskey. Each cask was used to marry Teeling’s own Small Batch whiskey, capturing the natural flavors of ginger, rich molasses and subtle hints of malt, delicately finished with a hint of lasting spice. The Whiskey is bottled at 46% with no chill filtration completing a whiskey of true character.
To create the Teeling Whiskey finished Umbrella London Ginger Beer, Umbrella London’s Head Brewer Matt Armitage rested 500 litres of Ginger Beer in two used Teeling former bourbon hogshead barrels for two years, before carbonating and canning the liquid. Once emptied, these barrels were then shipped back to the Teeling Distillery in Dublin to be refilled with Teeling Whiskey and rested for nine months to create the alcoholic (5.5%) Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey. The result is something wholly unique, with notes of fresh ginger, tobacco and molasses offering a long and spicy finish with coffee and chocolate.
Both the Umbrella London Ginger Beer finished Teeling Whiskey, and the Teeling Whiskey finished Umbrella London Ginger Beer, will be available to purchase online via Umbrella London https://theumbrellaproject.co.uk/teeling , alongside a bespoke gift set curated for the collaboration featuring a bottle of Whiskey, two cans of Whiskey finished Ginger Beer, Umbrella London’s original Ginger Beer, two tumblers with coasters from The Sun Tavern, making for the ultimate Christmas gift for whiskey aficionados.
Teeling Whiskey believes in driving the evolution of Irish Whiskey through the creation of new and unique expressions. The latest release captures the unique influence the Umbrella London Ginger Beer Cask has played in the further maturation of Teeling’s flagship Small Batch blend.
As London’s only independent cider makers, Umbrella London brews, presses and blends on-site, sourcing ingredients from British farmers. Launched in 2015, their alcoholic (5%) Ginger Beer is made using only natural ingredients including hand pressed ginger, hand squeezed lemon juice, cane sugar, malted barley, yeast and water, resulting in a unique ginger sediment at the bottom of the bottle, which is activated when turned. Sessionable and versatile, Umbrella London’s Ginger Beer has been formulated to be enjoyed both on its own, mixed with spirits and as a cocktail ingredient.
Umbrella London sister company The Umbrella Project opened their first bar Discount Suit Company in Spitalfields 2014, which serendipitously coincided with the release of Teeling’s multi award winning Small Batch, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship. Through the team’s second bar, The Sun Tavern in Hackney, The Umbrella Project toured the whiskey distilleries of Ireland, researching and compiling London’s largest selection of Irish Whiskey – named Imbibe’s Whisky List of The Year 2016.
TASTING NOTES
Umbrella London Ginger Beer Finished Teeling Whiskey:
Nose: Fresh citrus, creamy vanilla with a subtle ginger spice
Taste: Fresh ginger, rich molasses, sweet malt
Finish: A delicate finish with a hint of lasting spice
Teeling Whiskey Finished Ginger Beer:
Nose: ginger spice with cedar and vanilla
Taste: fresh ginger, tobacco and molasses
Finish: long and spicy with coffee and chocolate
