An Evening with Tullamore DEW


Recently I attended a Tullamore DEW tasting at Katie’s, a jewel of a restaurant here in New Orleans.  I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine… Until this tasting I’ve never had Tullamore DEW. Ever. So you can guess I was pretty excited about the evening.

Tullamore DEW ambassador Jane Maher walked us through six different expressions of the famous Irish whiskey.  Two of them are currently not available here in the U.S. market, and were brought to the tasting courtesy of William Grant & Sons’ Jorge Lauriano.

We started the night with a Moscow Mule made with Tullamore DEW.  It was an interesting take on the classic cocktail.


Next up was the tasting.  I didn’t jot down tasting notes that night, so these are general impressions from memory.  I hope to tackle Tullamore DEW in a depth in the future.  ‘Til then…

Tullamore DEW:  the entry level blend.  Triple distilled.  Not bad.  Has a bit more character than the standard Jameson.

Tullamore DEW Cider cask:  this one’s finished in apple cider casks.  Adds a touch of fruitiness on the backend.  Travel retail exclusive.

Tullamore DEW 12-yr Sherry Cask:  my second favorite whisky of the night.  Some age and a Sherry cask finish works well with the pot still whiskies in this blend.

Tullamore DEW Old Bonded Warehouse Release:  another solid expression, but sadly only available at the distillery.  It’s also helped by a higher abv – 46% instead of the standard 40%.  There was a touch of dried fruit, which makes me think there is some Sherry cask-matured whiskey here.

Tullamore DEW Phoenix:  hands down my favorite expression of the night.  Bottled at a hefty 55% abv, this one bursts with bold flavors.  Surprisingly, the heat is tamer than you’d expect.  This is a limited edition, so it won’t be around for long.

Tullamore DEW 15-yr Trilogy:  intriguing pour.  Three types of casks are used: bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and rum.  The addition of that last type of cask added some rum funkiness that played well with the Tully flavor profile.  Very elegant.

Afterwards, a fantastic dinner was served.  I had the panned rabbit and mushrooms, followed by bread pudding with a white chocolate sauce.  I couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

Thanks to William Grant & Sons, Tullamore DEW (and their PR agency) for the invite.

Kilchoman Sanaig Scotch Whisky Review

Editor’s note:  I have the pleasure of presenting the first guest post here at AdventuresInWhiskey.com.  Jay Whittemore from Tasty Whiskey shares his thoughts on Kilchoman’s Sanaig.  I’m a fan of sherry cask-matured peated whisky, so I’m a tad jealous I didn’t get to sample this fantastic whisky.  Please welcome Jay, and be sure to check out his blog. – Bobby

Photo courtesy of Kilchoman.

Photo courtesy of Kilchoman.

Kilchoman – the small family-run farm distillery based on the west coast of Islay – recently issued a press release announcing that Sanaig, their 46% ABV sherry cask matured Scotch (~$75), won a double gold and “best of category” awards at recent competitions.

Bobby and I have both previously reviewed other Kilchoman offerings, so I figured it was high time to add to the collection.

The “TL;DR” recaps (with links to full reviews):

Kilchoman notes that Sanaig will join its core range of expressions, and that this release is matured in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels before being transferred for further maturation in Oloroso sherry casks. With the recent introduction of NAS sherried Islay single malts by Ardbeg (Dark Cove) and Laphroaig (Lore), Sanaig seems positioned to compete in this same stylistic category.

The color is a light golden brown (worth noting: Kilchoman doesn’t add any coloring additives to its whiskies, and they are also not chill-filtered). The aroma is richly peaty and heavily maritime in character, which is typical for Islay single malts. It makes me think of old dock ropes, first aid kits (gauze, BandAids, iodine), smoldering bonfire pits at the beach, and something more minerally/rocky, like rain evaporating off pavement. On the palate, Sanaig starts sweet with vanilla and caramel. Then peat smoke shows up on the midpalate, steadily building into a long finish, which also introduces a nice roasted walnut element and some bright cooked fruit flavors (apple/peach).

Kilchoman Sanaig is excellent, and definitely recommended.  The classic Islay flavors are here in full force, but they are nicely balanced by underlying sweetness. Given the production notes, I believe this sweetness is coming from both the ex-bourbon barrel maturation as well as the Oloroso sherry barrel finishing. All of which is to say there isn’t a gigantic sherry influence similar to what you’d see in a first-fill sherry cask expression or a PX-finished whisky. In no way does that detract from the experience; it’s just worth tempering your expectations for a “treacly sweet peat” experience.  8/10

(tasting sample generously provided by Kilchoman; views are my own)

The Last Great Malts
Bottle shots courtesy of Dewar's.

Bottle shots courtesy of Dewar’s.

Dewar’s recently released a series of single malts collectively referred to as The Last Great Malts.  These include Aberfeldy, The Deveron, Aultmore, Royal Brackla, and Craigellachie.  These single malts are among those used in the Dewar’s blend.   To commemorate these releases, Dewar’s has released a short promo video featuring heavy hitters Dave Broom and Charles Maclean.

I’m tasting all except Craigellachie (which I hope to get to soon).  All single malts are 12 years old and are bottled at 40% except for Aultmore, which is bottled at 46%.

ABERFELDY 12-YEAR-OLD

At the heart of Dewar’s lies Aberfeldy.  It’s what that blend is built around.  Right off the bat, you immediately notice that familiar Dewar’s nose.  Light floral aromas intermingle with rich honey, stewed pear and vanilla on the nose.  There’s just a hint of tropical fruit on the backend that becomes more apparent with a little time in the glass.  The whisky offers a slightly heavy mouthfeel while delivering delicate notes of toffee, light spiced honey, green pear, and a touch of oak.  The finish offers a touch of black pepper and mirliton.  Nice.  Definitely a major component of Dewar’s.  I’d love to see how this one ages, but what’s in the glass is an uncomplicated, silky whisky. 7.5/10

THE DEVERON 12-YEAR-OLD

From the Macduff distillery, The Deveron is supposed to capture a touch of sea air.  Toffee, seaweed and hints of tropical fruit define the nose.  Taste-wise, we’re looking at rich salted caramel, spiced vanilla custard, grilled pineapple, seaweed,  pine cones and black pepper.  The finish isn’t long, and leaves behind notes of stewed fruit and herbs.  Re-tasting Dewar’s 12, I can recognize the Deveron in the blend, but it’s nowhere near as dominant a whisky as Aberfeldy.  There’s lots going on here compared to Aberfeldy.  It’s not as sweet, but offers an interesting green fruit and plant profile.  8/10

ROYAL BRACKLA 12-YEAR-OLD

The first distillery to hold a Royal Warrant, The Brackla distillery’s single malts have just been released in the US. Sherried fruit, mango, and light toffee make up the nose on this 12-year-old whisky.  The entry is light, and features notes of rich tropical fruit, spice cake, and sherried malt.  There’s a rich mouthfeel here… The richest of the four malts in this post.  The slightly dry finish features a touch of cinnamon, red wine and malt.  Based on what I’m tasting here, I’m assuming this I a small component of Dewar’s.  There’s probably just enough to add a slight Sherry note.  Definitely my favorite of the bunch, due to it’s sherried component.  8/10

AULTMORE 12-YEAR-OLD

Aultmore has the lightest color of the group, leading me to think there is little to no coloring added.  The nose is less sweet and fruity than the other malts.  Freshly mowed grass, herbs and flowers with a touch of vanilla and toffee make up the nose here.  A sweet candied fruit starts things off, with anise, rosemary and vanilla providing some backbone alongside some toffee and lemon rind.  The long finish leaves behind a nice semi-sweet & bitter and malty note.  A solid offering!  8/10

Thanks to Dewar’s and their PR company for the samples.  As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.