Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix

Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix. Created as a limited edition NAS cask strength to commemorate the rebuilding of the town of Tullamore, which burned down as a result of a hot air balloon accident in 1785. The town was subsequently restored, an achievement that is celebrated by the annual Tullamore Phoenix Festival, and now, this bottling. Before I start my review, I'll say this: the town of Tullamore was resurrected from the ashes; however, the same cannot be said of this whiskey. Once it's gone, it's gone, so if you see one, I highly recommend that you nab it. Nose: Upon pouring, this one is all cinnamon and other baking spice, as one would expect of a 55 ABV whiskey. Given time, nuts, red berries, apple, shortbread cookie, brown sugar caramel reveal themselves. Reminiscent of a warm slice of apple pie. Of course, the cinnamon and spices remain present, but they mesh nicely with the other aromas given 15 or so minutes. Very nice. Palate: Once again, exposure to air is the key here. Very malty. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak heavy as well. After I adjust to the heat, I get graham cracker, shortbread cookie, toffee, and vanilla, followed by raspberry, cranberry, and date. Toward the end of the palate, the spices kick back up. Finish: Very lengthy finish. All spice here: cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak barrel spice. Some cashew and almond in there. Satisfying way to cap a stellar dram. And it really packs a punch. When I first cracked this one, I thought I had found a front-runner for my new favorite Irish whiskey. Surprisingly, this one did not seem to improve with time, as most cask strength whiskies tend to do. With that being said, it's still top notch. It's only a slight step down from Redbreast 12 CS and it's more than $20 cheaper. Truly an exceptional value. This one is a true standout in the Irish category. While not the most complex, it's a robust and gritty whiskey that performs well above its price point. Calamity sets the stage for greatness. Past glory and success can be recaptured as long as the heart and soul remain the same. I think that's the message here. Or maybe the message is to think before you release an unmanned hot air balloon in the middle of a populated town. Either way, I hope this limited edition Phoenix sees a second life much like the town of Tullamore. It's damn good stuff, and I hope it becomes a component of the TD core range. Great stuff.

TULLAMORE D.E.W. Phoenix Blended Irish Whiskey 3/22/18 Triple Distilled 55% ABV NAS A Blend of Grain, Single Malt and Single Pot Still Whiskies Non-Chill-filtered Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks Left the bottle uncorked for an hour to open up COLOR: Mahogany Many Legs running swiftly NOSE: Rich sweet grape note after the whiskey opened up. In the glass a complex nose, sweet grape upfront transitioning to a sweet candy note as it sits with a bit of spiciness underneath. PALETTE: Sweet grape arrival with spice quickly moving in. A little Hot yet not overpowering. The sweet grape/candy note blends with the spiciness in the rich mouthfeel to create a nice complexity FINISH: Spicy and drying yet with an air of sweetness lingering; lightly Mouthwatering With 1 drop of Distilled water NOSE: A Caramel sweetness with Spice underneath. The grape note reappears as I swirl it. PALETTE: A Spicy grape arrival with the spice emerging but the sweet grape re-appears as I swirl it to mix with the spice. There is also a drying sense. There is still a rich mouthfeel. FINISH: Very Spicy and drying. With 2 drops of Distilled water NOSE: A light caramel candy sweetness PALETTE: Very Dry arrival with spiciness rising and light candy sweetness behind. A Very Peppery tingly mouthfeel Spice Not Alcohol burn. A light candied sweetness emerges as I swirl it. FINISH: Light sweetness followed by pepper spice ending in a mouthwatering sweetness. This is a Very Nice Complex glass of whisky. The mix of grape and or grape candy sweetness and spiciness remains NEAT or with water. They just change places in my experience of them. It is interesting the the Single Pot Still Spiciness was most prominent with 2 drops of water, but the sweetness and spice did a dance across my experience with one taking center stage at one time but the other coming in to compliment it; trading places as I enjoyed the melody. A Very well done Whiskey. Highly Recommended! Michael P. Gaughan

This high abv expression of Tullamore D.E.W. is called this way because of the phoenix in Tullamore town's coat of arms, because of a 1785 event, when a hot air balloon crash caused a terrible fire that nearly wiped all the Town. It has been made by blending the most relevant types of irish whiskey: golden grain, malt and pure pot still whiskey. Bottled at 55%abv, golden color. On the nose, Raw rice, Dusty Cardbox; Triple sec liquor and Cork. Not very impressive. On the palate it is a little better. Wheat, Soap, Red fruits, Very grassy with Corn notes. Aftertaste was forgettable. Paper, Raw rice, Maize; it is like licking an envelope. Overall, not my favorite whiskey; i actually never liked Tullamore D.E.W. too much. Even for a Cask Strength dram, this lacks complexity and fun. It is not off-putting, but it is not delicious nor easy drinkable. My score for it is 73 over 100.

A higher strength Tullamore Dew, nothing special actually, i feel this is a dram that lacks small things to become a good whiskey. Bottled at 55%abv, the story of the dram is that the town of tullamore suffered in 1785 a tragedy where a hot-air balloon fell into the town and the blaze almost destroy the entire place. This whiskey is a tribute to Tullamore and its capability to emerge again from the blaze, like a phoenix. On the nose, the grain whiskey influence is way too powerful. Hay, Sider, Grass; Perfume shop and Nutmeg. On the palate, it is a typical irish whiskey with an excess of chocolate notes. I got some chocolate with salt, spicy chocolate and hay. Aftertaste is short and bitter. Overall i score this dram a fair 79 over 100, not enough here to call it a memorable dram.

To every man his Dew, as the old ads used to say. The story of the town of Tullamore's phoenix-like ascent from a disastrous fire is the inspiration for this spin on the classic Tullamore profile, and it is indeed a bit fiery - there's some young spirit nip (to be expected from an NAS), but beyond that there are appealing notes of cinnamon and clove to be found, all mixed in with vanilla creme, almond, dried fruit, and a lovely full, buttery mouthfeel. Being part of my Advent calendar, I'm unsure of price point here, so I can't speak to value, but it's an enjoyable dram with enough personality to make an impression.

[Whiskey Live New York 2016] - After refraining from buying the bottle on impulse, I was able to give this expression a go. My word I should have given in and bought this already! This is where Tully truly shines, whereas I feel all of the single malt iterations are just lacking and not all too amazing. You're still getting that pot still creaminess and sweet grain malt influence, but we're also getting a mildly rich fruity flavor, and sufficient amount of bite. The best DEW has to offer!