Review - Tullamore DEW XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish

Introduction by Matt Chambers. Tasting notes & thoughts by Tobias Gorn.

The Irish whiskey brand of Tullamore DEW has launched a new expression of its popular blend - the Tullamore DEW XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish. The new variant takes the regular Tullamore DEW blend, which is triple distilled and uses three styles of Irish whiskey (grain, malt and pot still), and gives it a finishing period in first-fill ex-demerara rum casks sourced from the Caribbean. The release is said to pay homage to the Irish immigrants that arrived in the Caribbean during the 17th century and helped the early development of rum distillation in the region.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 1, 2019)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Review - Tullamore DEW Phoenix

The Phoenix is a new cask strength whiskey that is a blend of pot still, single malt and grain whiskeys.  It has a high percentage of ex-sherry cask maturation within the blend and this has then seen a finishing period in virgin American oak casks. The Phoenix was launched during the Summer to celebrate the second anniversary of the new distillery at Tullamore, which began production in August 2014.

Review - Tullamore DEW 14 years old & 18 years old

These two new whiskeys are the latest to join the range of popular Irish brand Tullamore DEW.  They are limited editions and single malts. Both the 14 years old and 18 years old expressions have undergone a rare cask combination for maturation - they have been predominantly matured in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to a mix of ex-Oloroso sherry butts, ex-Port pipes and ex-Madeira drums. They were launched in tandem at the lavish Harrods department store in central London in mid-August.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 12, 2016)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (June 26, 2015)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Inbox - March 14, 2014

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Inbox - August 16, 2013

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Tullamore DEW Original Blend - Deconstruction tasting

The team at Tullamore DEW have recently been hard at work revamping the packaging of the Tullamore DEW original bottling. The new look bottle is designed to celebrate the history of this Irish spirit with a cleaner look and a notable nod to Daniel E. Williams, the man that created Tullamore DEW.

New release - Tullamore Dew 12 years old

Tullamore Dew has released its 12 years old expression on to the UK market. Having seen this expression sell well in the USA, the brand's owners William Grant & Sons launched it for St. Patrick's Day in the UK. It is a unique blend of three different types of triple distilled Irish whiskey - Irish pot still, malt and grain - all of which have been aged between 12 and 15 years. It has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and bottled at 40% ABV. A bottle should cost around £30-35.

Tullamore Dew was originally distilled in the village of Tullamore, County Offaly in central Ireland in 1829. The Tullamore distillery was founded by Michael Molloy before passing to Daniel E. Williams in the 1880s. Williams had worked at the distillery as a teenager and had worked his way up to the position of General Manager. He was also a major innovator - he introduced electricity and the telephone to Tullamore village and its distillery, making it one of the most modern whiskey making facilities of the day. Williams also gave his name to his whiskey by combining the town's name with his initials, hence Tullamore DEW.  The distillery closed in 1954 and fell into disrepair.

William Grant & Sons have just announced plans to construct and open a new distillery in the brand's spiritual hometown of Tullamore. Tullamore Dew is currently the second biggest selling Irish whiskey brand behind Jameson, and the new pot still facility is to help maintain the current level of growth and demand for the product. William Grant is investing €35 million in the project which will create 100 temporary and 25 permanent jobs in the town. The building work is estimated to take two years and the facility will incorporate an environmentally efficient pot still distillery and a visitor centre.

Our tasting notes
The colour is a rich golden yellow and the nose is rich and sweet, but with a slightly understated edge to it.  There are pleasant aromas up front which include obviously sweet notes of caramel, honey, vanilla and butterscotch.  These are joined by some very grainy cereals, plus hints of dried grass and nutmeg, which add depth and complexity.

On the palate, the whiskey feels creamy and almost oily.  The sweetness is again the first thing to show and the notes of butterscotch, honey and vanilla are particularly prominent.  The other notes from the nose - bittersweet cereals, dried grass and nutmeg - again add depth and are joined by further elements which give a lovely complexity.  There is a distinct notes of toasted nuts and orange oil, with a hint of waxy furniture polish and some drying woody oak spice.  The combination is delicious.

It is this oaky spiciness that leads the way on the finish.  The oak and baking spices (think of cinnamon and nutmeg) are joined by the toasted nuttiness from the palate.  This combination makes the finish particularly and mouth watering.  The soft, sweet notes return to stop it becoming too dry with the honey and butterscotch prominent

What's the verdict?
The Tullamore Dew 12 years old is exceptionally easy going and easy drinking.  It is a lovely example of an Irish whiskey, being smoother and richer than the extremely popular Original version.  This would be a great choice to introduce a beginner to the world of Irish whiskey, as it is well balanced with a nice level of depth and complexity.  We say if you are thinking of buying the Original, search this one out and spend £10 more - it's worth it.

Inbox - April 13, 2012 (Part 1)

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

This week is a little different, as Inbox is split in to two parts - the second part will appear over the weekend.  This is due to Matt and Karen having been away to Australia and returning to a large amount of emails about all manner of whisky related things.  Here is the first part of what they discovered ...

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AnCnoc - Something is coming soon ...
One of the more surreal emails that we received was from the guys at AnCnoc. The up-and-coming whisky brand, which is made at the Highland distillery of Knockdhu, has released a short video alluding to a new project which is just around the corner.  It is meant to whet your appetite and we will let you know as soon as we know what it is all about.  For now, the video is below ... any guesses, please leave a comment below.

Bell's - Jubilee Decanter announced
Within this two part edition of Inbox, you will read about a number of whiskies being released to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June. These represent just a few of the plethora of such releases associated with the event.  The Bell's brand has a strong tradition of releasing such limited edition decanters for Royal occasions, as well as  for each Christmas.

The Diamond Jubilee Decanter has been specially designed and shows a change in style and colour from previous decanter releases.  This edition of Bell's has a heavy bias towards the single malts from Blair Athol and Caol Ila in the blend. It is available exclusively to the UK market and will retail for 85.  Numerous specialist whisky retailers in the UK are currently taking pre-orders.

Chivas - Cannes Film Festival
About this time last year, we reported on the third year of sponsorship of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival by the Chivas Regal whisky brand.

To celebrate the continued association, the brand has announced an extension to the sponsorship until at least 2014.  This will also see Chivas Regal continue to support the FilmAid International charity.  The brand will host various events in the French town during the Festival, which runs from 16-27 May. James Slack, Global Brand Director for Chivas Regal says, “We are delighted to continue our support as official partner of the Cannes Film Festival. Like Cannes, Chivas Regal is synonymous with discerning style, luxury and legend, which makes this partnership a perfect one".

Famous Grouse - Jubilee special
The biggest selling blended whisky in the UK is launching a limited edition commemorative version in order to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The Famous Jubilee is a new take on the classic Famous Grouse blend that has been specially constructed by the Master Blender of the Edrington Group (the brand's owners), Gordon Motion. It will be available in the UK only, exclusively to the Waitrose supermarket chain, and will cost £24.99.

The brand is also issuing a revised Jubilee package box for the regular Famous Grouse, which will be available in the supermarket chain of Sainsbury's for the Jubilee period.

Speyburn - New packaging and club
The Speyside distillery of Speyburn have announced a new set of packaging for their single malt range.  The brand, which is owned by Inver House Distillers, has gone for a fresher and more contemporary look with the new packaging, which includes a new bottle, label and tube.  This will initially be applied to the two most popular malts in the range - the Brandan Orach and the 10 years old (pictured, left) - with the aim to increase brand exposure in retail outlets.

The brand has also just opened a new members area, called Clan Speyburn, on its newly refurbished website.  When you sign up you will receive a welcome pack, receive a regular newsletter and be able to enjoy special offers which include limited edition bottlings just for club members.  To sign up - click here.

Tullamore Dew - New distillery
William Grant & Sons, the owners of the Tullamore Dew whiskey brand, have announced plans to construct and open a new distillery in the brand's spiritual hometown of Tullamore, County Offaly. Tullamore Dew is currently the second biggest selling Irish whiskey brand behind Jameson, and the new pot still facility is to help maintain the current level of growth and demand for the product, which is growing by 15% per annum.

The new distillery will bring whiskey production back to the town for the first time since 1954, when the original Tullamore distillery closed.  William Grant is investing €35 million in the project and will created 100 temporary and 25 permanent jobs in the town.  The building work is estimated to take two years and the facility will incorporate an environmentally efficient pot still distillery and a visitor centre.

Whisky Round Table - April 2012
The latest sitting of the newly re-vamped Whisky Round Table is now available for you to read.  The April edition is hosted by one of the original members of the group - Gal Granov of the excellent and informative Whisky Israel blog.

Gal set an interesting question about whether the procedure of maturing casks in two or more locations actually benefited the whisky or whether it was simplay a PR stunt.  Read the answers of the twelve Whisky Knights, including us, by clicking here.

Inbox - January 6, 2012

Inbox returns following a brief festive break with the first edition of 2012. Both of us would firstly like to wish everyone a slightly belated Happy New Year. For those of you who may have discovered us recently ... welcome to Whisky For Everyone.

Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

The Christmas and New Year period is traditionally a quiet time in terms of marketing and PR.  However, things will soon start to warm up again. A few articles of interest have landed in the last couple of weeks, so here goes ...

Balblair - Oldest Vintage get a revamp
The Balblair distillery in the north Highlands have revealed stylish new packaging for their prestigious Vintage - the 1965.  This is the oldest Vintage in their current range and has been re-launched in a deluxe gift box made from black satin wood and lined with cream leather.  It also features a draw which contains a certificate of authenticity signed by Distillery Manager John MacDonald and a booklet containing tasting notes. The whisky has been taken from a single ex-bourbon cask and this has yielded just 350 bottles.  It has an strength of 52.3% ABV and is available now from high-end specialist retailers at a cost of £1,200 each.

Benriach - New Solstice released
The award winning independent Speyside distillery of Benriach have bottled a second version of their popular Solstice single malt.  It was released on 21 December - the day of the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.  The first bottling was released on the same day in 2010 and was highly regarded with Jim Murray describing it in the latest version of his Whisky Bible as 'spellbinding'.  This release, like the first edition, is heavily peated and has been matured in ex-bourbon casks, before finishing in ex-tawny Port casks.  It is older at 17 years of age and has a strength of 50% ABV. Sales Director for Benriach, Alistair Walker said: “Our new malt is a superb marriage of peat and fruit, a worthy successor to our 15 year old Solstice ... and just as spellbinding".

Benriach - 10,000 casks and counting
More news from Benriach, this time in the form of a milestone.  Just before Christmas, the independently owned distillery filled its 10,000th cask with new make spirit since the new ownership re-started Benriach in 2004. The cask in question was a second fill ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, which holds approximately 500 litres. Benriach's Distillery Manager and friend of Whisky For Everyone, Stuart Buchanan (pictured in the slightly fuzzy photo to the left) commented, "There is no doubt in terms of blood, sweat and tears, this has been the busiest year we have had at the distillery since it became independent. As we entered December, we had a wee suspicion that we might hit the magic 10,000 cask number and we eventually filled cask it on Wednesday December 14th.”

Glenmorangie - Artein hits the market
The famous Highland distillery has announced the third release in its Private Editions range. Named Artein, which is the Gaelic word for stone, the new single malt joins the popular Sonnalta and Finealta in the range. The name refers to the influence the local limestone has on the water used in Glenmorangie's whisky production. Glenmorangie Artein is crafted from American white oak ex-bourbon casks of 15 year old and 21 year old whiskies (in the ratio of 2:1), which were hand selected by Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden. These subsequently underwent an extra maturation period in Super Tuscan Sassacaia wine casks.  Artein has been bottled at 46% ABV and will retail at £70 a bottle.

Mackmyra - Open new distillery
Just before Christmas, the Swedish distillery in the town of Gävle has opened its new distillery.  The move was driven by the ever growing popularity of Mackmyra's single malt whiskies, which continues to win plaudits around the world.  The facility, known as the Mackmyra Whisky Village, was designed by architect Thomas Eriksson and features a set of underground maturation warehouses. It also features an innovative system that uses gravity to aid whisky production, with the milling and mashing processes starting things off at the top of its 37 storey high building.  The MWV has an annual capacity of 1.2 million litres, which quadruples the output of the original distillery built in 1999. Full production and visitor tours will commence in the Spring.  In the meantime, check out the short video below which shows the opening event on 17 December 2011. You will have to brush up on your Swedish though ...

Tullamore Dew - UK release for Special Reserve
The popular Irish whiskey brand has released its award winning 12 year old Special Reserve expression on to the UK market. New owners William Grant & Sons have seen this expression sell exceptionally well in the USA. It is a unique blend of three different types of triple distilled Irish whiskey - Irish pot still, malt and grain - all of which have been aged between 12 and 15 years. The whiskey has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks to create a blend of great depth and complexity.  The whiskey is available now in good supermarkets and specialist retailers with prices starting at around £30.

Inbox > September 30, 2011

Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR type material that has recently found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece that we receive. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we will write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information if you want to. So, what's landed this week?

Amrut > Bring two continents together

Two continents are better than one

The award winning Indian distillery of Amrut, which is located in Bangalore, have released a new single malt whisky with a twist. The whisky is made from Indian malted barley in Bangalore and undertook its initial maturation in the tropical heat at the distillery, with an altitude of 3,000 feet (915 meters) above sea level.  The casks were then transferred to a secret location in Europe to mature for their final two years in a cooler, temperate climate.  The casks in question are second fill ex-bourbon casks and four were used for this release, which has yielded just 1,260 bottles.  The bottling has a strength of 50% ABV and will cost around £50 each from specialist retailers. For further information, visit www.amrutwhisky.co.uk.

Laphroaig > 'Live' from Australia

This year's Laphroaig Live event is taking place next week and the location is Sydney, Australia.  The event was first held in 2007 and the idea was to engage whisky fans around the world by holding a live tasting online.  This year's show, the first to be held in the southern hemisphere, will incorporate Laphroaig whisky tasting, food and music - don't be surprised to see something to do with a traditional Aussie barbeque!  Laphroaig is currently the third biggest selling single malt in Australia and the live broadcast will be hosted by Aussie TV presenter Simon Reeve, Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell, Laphroaig's Master Blender Robert Hicks and Lin Johnston, the great great great granddaughter of the distillery's founder Alexander Johnston.  He started Laphroaig in 1815.  The whiskies to be sampled and discussed will be Quarter Cask and Triple Wood releases, plus a special 10 year old which was bottled in the 1960s.  If it is as good as previous Laphroaig Live events, then we are in for a treat.  It will take place at 8pm Sydney time on Thursday 6 October.

We are delighted to announce that we will be streaming this year's Laphroaig Live, with permission, here on Whisky For Everyone.  Please join us on our special blog post next Thursday to watch the action live from Australia.

Master of Malt > Win £250 spending spree

Competition time ...

Remember The Blogger's Blend from a couple of months ago?  This was the competition operated by leading online whisky retailer Master of Malt, who invited 10 whisky bloggers from around the world to take part.  We were delighted to be one of the 10 and the brief was to create your own blend from the samples provided, then the public would decide the winner.  Well, Blend I was selected and the bloggers were asked to come up with a name - while we were away on holiday, the majority voted for St. Isodore. Now comes the final stage - Master of Malt are asking for the public's help again, this time to create a label for the whisky.  The details for entry can be found at Master of Malt's blog - get your skates on though as the winner will be drawn on 5 October.  First prize is a £250 voucher to spend on their website. Good luck!

Tullamore Dew > Brand redesign and investment 

The new 'Irish' packaging

William Grant & Sons Ltd. have announced a multi-million pound global campaign for Tullamore Dew – the world’s number two Irish whiskey brand. This comes in the form of new look packaging and the launch of global TV and print communication, under the banner of ‘Irish True’. This campaign features striking images and charismatic characters, which are to evoke the true spirit of the Irish. Tullamore Dew is currently one of the fastest growing Irish whiskey brands and has almost doubled sales since 2005. The investment has been prompted by the brand’s rapid growth, driven largely by increased consumer demand for Irish whiskey in the USA and emerging Irish whiskey markets such as the Czech Republic and Germany. Tullamore Dew’s Global Brand Director Shane Hoyne commented, “With Tullamore Dew, we want to establish a different definition of ‘Irishness’ – as something that people can relate to the world over and something that is rooted in the incredible spirit of the people".

Have just tried ... Tullamore Dew Original

Owned by an innovator
Tullamore Dew is a multi award winning Irish whiskey. It was originally first distilled in the village of Tullamore, County Offaly in central Ireland in 1829. The Tullamore distillery was founded by Michael Molloy before passing to Daniel E. Williams in the 1880s. Williams had started working at the distillery as a teenager and had done almost every job there by the time he had worked his way up to the position of General Manager. He was a major innovator as well - he introduced electricity and the telephone to Tullamore village and its distillery, making it one of the most modern whiskey making facilities of the day. Williams also gave his name to his whiskey by combining the town's name with his initials, hence Tullamore DEW.

Tullamore Dew is the second best selling Irish whiskey in the world, with Jameson's in first place. This Original is triple distilled (as most Irish whiskies are) in copper pot stills, matured in ex-bourbon casks and released at 40% ABV. A bottle should cost around the £20 mark. It forms the backbone of the Tullamore Dew range, which also includes the sherry cask matured blend Black 43, 10 and 12 years old blends plus a 10 years old single malt. Tullamore Dew whiskey is also used within the popular Irish Mist liqueur, where it is mixed with herbs and honey.

New Irish distillery?
The Tullamore Dew brand has recently been acquired by the Scottish whisky company William Grant & Sons and is made at the Midleton distillery in County Cork, southern Ireland. Midleton were the previous owners of the brand and have agreed to distill the whiskey under license for the foreseeable future. Midleton took over the distilling of Tullamore Dew in 1965, after the Tullamore distillery closed and have produced it there ever since, along with other famous Irish whiskey names such as Jameson's, Powers and Paddy. It is rumoured that William Grant & Sons are planning to build a new distillery in Ireland, so as to produce the Tullamore Dew whiskies themselves.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Tullamore Dew Original is a pale gold and the nose is light, fresh and zesty (think of lemon zest especially). There is plenty of oak and vanilla to begin with and these are joined quickly by some distinctive malty cereal grains and dried grasses (imagine hay or straw). Also evident are some pleasant wood spices (especially nutmeg) and an interesting doughy/ yeast note. On the palate this is again light, refreshing and zesty. It grows in richness as you hold it in your mouth with some lovely sweet elements combining well together - creamy vanilla, nuts (especially almonds), toffee and butterscotch. These are balanced by a good helping of bittersweet cereal grains, dried grasses and a pinch of wood spice (think of cinnamon and nutmeg). That yeast-like note comes through right at the end and carries through to the finish, which is short and sweet. The honey and vanilla are again prominent before the distinctive cereals come through to give the finish a drier edge.

What's the verdict?
This a good and simple whiskey that is worth trying if you get the chance. It would be particularly good for a beginner as it offers pleasant softness and smoothness, while having some interesting characteristics present. It could easily be mixed with something or would be great in an Irish coffee (they market it as such on their website!). An enjoyable and easy drinking dram that offers particularly good value for money.