Tullamore DEW was the focus for our taste buds in last Wednesday nights World Famous Tweet Tastings!
Our host, as ever, was the World Famous Steve from The Whisky Wire and he gave us the opportunity to sample four of Tullamore DEW’s brand range.
The malts sampled were:-
- Tullamore DEW Original Blended Irish Whiskey
- Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve
- Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey
- Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish
Tullamore DEW is named after Daniel E. Williams, a self-made man who worked his way up from a stable boy of the distillery to become the owner.
His inovation brought electricity and motorised automobiles to Tullamore in addition to creating a distinctive and character-filled whiskey.
Desmond Williams was the grandson of Daniel E. Williams and inherited his grandfather’s grit and determination. His claim to fame was to introduce Ireland’s first blended whiskey. In September 2014 Tullamore resumed production in its ancestral home of Tullamore, Co Offaly.
If you want to catch up on what all the tasters had to say you can view the tweets by searching for the hash tag #TullamoreDEW on Twitter – where we managed to trend at number 43 on the night!
So, what did I think?
Here are my tasting notes … and the one which was my favourite on the night!
Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW Original Blended Irish Whiskey (40%)
Triple distilled and aged in a combination of ex-bourbon & sherry casks.
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Nose: Sweet stewed apples, pears and vanilla and sticky caramel on a wooden spoon! Biscuity crumble as well as a bit of tropical-ness going on as well – pineapple et al. Palate: Apples pears & a little vanilla to the fore. Sweetness is more subdued than the nose and there’s some dry woodiness to boot. Finish: Short, sharp, spicy finish with some fine fruity sweetness balancing it up. Overall: This is a lovely, sippable dram. Easily capable of being enjoyed on it’s own and at a very nice price-point! |
Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve (40%)
A triple distilled blend. Aged in old oak bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks for 12 to 15 years.
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Nose: Mmm … that’s spicier! Sweet jams, tropical fruits and malty depths – yum! There is deffo a dusty woodiness underlying this … Palate: Very tropical fruity with sherbet dancing on the tongue! Gentle spices mixed in with vanilla – morish! Finish: Quite a punchy, spicy finish held in check by some sweet fruits – fiery it is! Overall: A bit more depth than the original but losing none of it’s character – a fine 12 year old blended dram. |
Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey (41.3%)
Four cask finish – Old bourbon, Oloroso, sherry, port & Madeira. Only available in France until now but due for a UK release this Summer.
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Nose: Less sweet than previous drams – apples to the fore though very fruity generally. There’s thick caramel and vanilla again and boy, do those tropical fruits abound! Palate: Smooth, sweet, tropical fruity yuminess – delightful! Finish: Dry, short finish with rich fruit and a lttle treacle – nice n’ spicy! Overall: Perfectly balanced with rich, luscious sweetness and inviting, tasty spices. A real joy to nose, sip, and savour! |
Tasting Notes – Tullamore DEW Cider Cask Finish (40%)
Triple distilled in a soft mellow blend of all three Irish Whiskies. Pot still, grain and malt.
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Nose: Obvious apples as expected, sharp as well but I am getting that metallic note mixed in. Beer and apple peel for sure and I’m also reminded of apple sours … Palate: Ooh! Wasn’t expecting that! A little apple with some honeyed fruit. Finish: VERY spice n’ peppery to me with added ginger – quite a hit! Overall: Not an ideal dram for me, a little too cidery but if you love your apples with a healthy, spicy punch then this dram is for you! |
My Favourite On The Night
The Tullamore DEW 14 Year Old without hesitation. Exquisito! And not enough of it – alas … there never is!
Many thanks to Steve at The Whisky Wire (@TheWhiskyWire) for a great Irish dram evening.
Special thanks to the team at Tullamore DEW (@TullamoreDEWUK), especially @tullamoreDEWJen, for sending such an amazing and generous sample package and for having such tasty whiskies!
My fellow Tweeters were:-
@TheWhiskyWire @tullamoreDEWJen @WhiskyDiscovery @kizzsmyth @MaltMad @cache1337 @brawspirit @TheWhiskyphiles @CoupleODrams @ocdwhisky @RealDramRob @WhiskyMattY @rodbodtoo @whiskyfreak123 @TheFinestCut @dvdbloke @pimpleandblotch @Ardbaggie @steveprentice @whiskytube @TheWhiskyKiwi @annawizauk @jalcock1982 @allthingsbooze @jpbglover11
Tullamore DEW may be available to buy from these Whisky Merchants:-
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