Teerenpeli Kaski Distiller’s Choice review
April 25, 2014
Nikka whisky logo
Nikka Black Special review
April 30, 2014
Teerenpeli Kaski Distiller’s Choice review
April 25, 2014
Nikka whisky logo
Nikka Black Special review
April 30, 2014

Teerenpeli distillery tour 4.5.2013

Teerenpeli barrel feature image

Grill & Distillery Taivaanranta @ Lahti, Finland

Teerenpeli's single malt whisky cask

If you translate Teerepeli in English the most direct way, it means mating display of the black grouse. In slang or everyday Finnish, it means flirtation. Inspired by Highland Park and some other craft distilleries, Teerenpeli whisky isn’t flirtatious. Like Ian Buxton wrote couple of years ago in the Whisky Magazine, it is well and seriously made. And I must ad, with love for whisky distilling. My hat goes off for owner Anssi Pyysing and his folks at Teerenpeli, for being bold and having the passion to make whisky in Finland. That means financial risk taking and putting your reputation on the line.

Teerenpeli distillery warehouse tour

Teerenpeli barrels and bottles in their restaurant basement

In Finland, alcohol making isn’t the best way to make your living, because of our taxing and the general atmosphere, when it comes to alcohol. Finnish government likes to legislate alcohol with a rough hand. For example, if your production is under 200 000 litres per year, you get a 50% relief in taxing. Our prices are very high, the market small and people like to buy their booze from abroad. That is not a good basis for starting a business.

Teerenpeli whisky | Jussi Oinas hosts a distillery tour

Teerenpeli’s “whisky host” Jussi Oinas introducing the separation process of oils

Teerenpeli’s main business is in their restaurants and beer brewing. Whisky is more like a passion for them. So even as a “hobby”, they make good whisky. Teerenpeli is the first commercial single malt whisky maker in Finland. The first ever single malt maker is Panimoravintola Beer Hunter’s in Pori, but they sell only at their local brewery restaurant and not for retail.

Teerenpeli whisky pot stills

Teerenpeli pot stills, inspired by Highland Park, made by Forsyths. They would’ve made bigger pots for the same price but Teerenpeli had to take the pots this small to fit in their restaurant basement

Teerenpeli comes from the city of Lahti. They started whisky making in 2002. Teerenpeli was established in 1995 and it has 5 brewery restaurants in different cities across Finland. The barley comes from the region of Päijät-Häme and the malting is made in Viking Malt in Lahti. In distilling they use the local ground water of Salpausselkä. The production is as local as it can get.

Teerenpeli distillery tour

In the distillery tour, we got a chance to taste:

In the words of Ian Buxton“Highland Park may have been the inspiration but this pioneering Nordic spirit is rapidly making its own way and, once better known, seems set fair to occupy  place in world distilling.”

Other Finnish whisky distillers (edited 6/2015):

Teerenpeli whisky tour

Old bottle – probably the first bottle of Teerenpeli malt whisky

Teerenpeli whisky bottles

Teerenpeli 4YO and 5YO single malt whiskys

Teerenpeli whisky casks

Whisky casks in the restaurant basement in Lahti

Teerenpeli barrels

Johannes Lindblom
Johannes Lindblom
Finnish whisky enthusiast and the author of WhiskyRant! A digital marketing professional by day – a whisky reviewer and informer by night.

1 Comment

  1. Chivas says:

    thank for share your info, love to read that alway follow you

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