Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Finish

I finally took the time to review this very good expression of the Tullamore DEW line. This is Tullamore DEW finished in Caribbean Rum Casks and it is very nice and different. I bought this because I wanted something different one day and a good buddy of mine at the local store had just tried this and really enjoyed it. The bottle is very nice with light blue/aqua on the label and cap and the slightly darker liquid inside than regular DEW. The nose on this is really nice and different in that you have the traditional whiskey notes like caramel and honey, but then comes the rum notes with the sweetness of molasses. The body is still light as most Irish whiskeys are with the flavors rushing across your palate, but this stuff lasts a bit longer and is pleasant. The finish is longer as well with the rum sweetness giving way to the lingering whiskey notes of vanilla and a hint of oak with light brown sugar at the end. Now this is not the end all be all whiskey, but it does show that some risks are worth taking. The product is a very good marriage between the smoothness of Irish whiskey and the sweetness of rum and if you are a fan of either this may be a shot worth taking. In my area this is about $26 a bottle so if it is not for you it will not break the bank and if you like it then it is a medium cost bottle. Now, I have made Irish coffee with this and I was blown away at the flavor and I made a whiskey and coke and again I was impressed by the flavor. But it was nearly too sweet. All in all this is a great addition to my Irish whiskey lineup and as long as it does not get too expensive I will continue to stock it in my home bar. Enjoy!

Bottle computer marked L15210TD, 24/10/2022, 13:23. Tasted neat. Light orange copper color and good coating legs in the glass. On the nose, sweet grain, cut apples and grapes, with floral jasmine, vanilla, and refined sugar. In the mouth, SWEET, then sweet floral and tropical, then more sweet with some grain backbone. There's a little dry spice in that cereal grain, and a hint of ethanol, but not much. Finish is still sweet, a little orange citrus sour/bitter, with a little mint tingle on the lips. Short to medium finish duration. For how sweet this is, the extended aftertaste is nicely, pleasantly, thankfully dry. So I've tasted the Tullamore DEW and the 12 year DEW which were ok, but both down my list of Irish favorites (the Spots, and Redbreast). Still, this is very good and quite unusual given the pronounced rum cask flavors. It's easily quaffible given the sweet-and-floral-over-earthy profile. That's not a bad thing--not every whiskey needs to be a challenge. Ice makes it dangerously punch-like, which, again, is good and bad. The more I sip this the more I'm enchanted by the very different Irish blend profile. I can see this as a nice late night tipple, a warm evening respite, a hot afternoon Whiskey Highball. Ohhh, I've gotta try out that idea! Will get back to you.

I have been on an exploration of rum, but have gone through what I have on hand, and bought a couple more, so I need to branch out. I remembered that in the back of my cupboard, hidden away waiting for an Irish tasting lineup, or St. Patrick’s, or something, was a bottle of Tullamore D. E. W. XO Rum Cask Finished. What, I wonder, is the effect of rum casks on Irish Whiskey? Out of the glass jump crisp apples, toffee, pineapple, banana, and mild hints of brown sugar. Keeping it in mind to look for rum influences, I need to dig past the apples, and there I find the same coconut sunscreen that I’ve found in some rum recently. First sip, instantly tastes like Irish whiskey, shortbread cookies, apples, toffee. There’s more here. I find burnt caramel, brown sugar, and white pepper. There’s something like magic markers, and a pleasant warming. The flavor has more notes that I recognize from rum, molasses, and overly ripe fruit. The biggest thing is probably the burnt caramel though. The finish is medium short, the apples and toffee linger, but the brown sugar, and some allspice are present too. As a whiskey this gets a 78/100. As an experience and exploration of rum influence: 85/100

Nose: High grain and ethanol, followed by classic toffee and caramel, plus distinct notes of tropical fruits and brown sugar. The rum cask is immediately evident, but the increased ABV is there to spoil the fun. Taste: Ethanol hits hard. This whiskey is way more grainy than I'd like. The extra ABV was definitely a bad idea. Watering this down to 40 manages to salvage the dram, liberating the malt and rum cask finish. Toffee, tropical fruits and brown sugar are nicely blended here. Finish: Long and hot. I can feel this going down all the way through my chest. It's not a terrible feeling though. There's something empowering about going through an experience like that. Final thoughts: I have to admit that slapping the XO stamp on this bottle was a really cheeky move. Don't be fooled. It tastes like 3 years plus a few months in rum casks for good measure. Not a terrible whiskey, but definitely not one I would ever buy again. Watering it down is essential, unless you want to simply cool it down or just mix it with whatever floats. I'm inescapably tempted to compare this to Dewar's 8 Caribbean Smooth, which is definitely a better release overall.

Firstly, I would like to point out that I rate it 3,75/5 objectively, although it is at least 4,5/5 in price to quality ratio! Obviously, I like Caribbean rum cask finished whisky/whiskey in general. Yes - it is not as classy and rich as the Balvenie 14yo, but it has similar notes both on the nose and the palate - honey, sweet banana, sweet orange citrus fruits like tangarine, vanilla, soft spices to make all better. Really soft, pleasant Irish dram. One of the best recent releases in this price segment. 43 ABV and triple distilled to help all the good qualities get better. A must-have for the mass customer.

Nose: getting some fruit notes right off the bat like strawberries and bananas along with some slight orange peel - quite enjoyable, off to a good start Palate: pretty thin mouthfeel, but loaded with vanilla wafers and more of the citrus notes - left wishing there was more to it, but still a nice dram so far Finish: finish very quick and unremarkable, bit of a let down from the nose and palate - loses all of the promise that had been built up Overall: this was serviceable, glad I tried a pour before getting a bottle because this is one I would not be purchasing more of