Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Finish

A bonus sample provided by my buddy @Scott_E as part of our little SDT trading team. I had high hopes for this one...my only other Tullamore was a 14 yr old, which I loved. It’s like that 2nd book of Lord of the Rings. You guys and gals have read that? There was a lot of nothing happening there in that 2nd book, despite tons of pages. Trees just walking around. Monologues just happening endlessly. This is just like that. It’s got a dense mouthfeel, but I’m not seeing the benefit of the rum cask. It’s not bad...just a bit of a let down, not much going on. So...the key question: would I buy a bottle? No. Would I buy a pour? No. Would I refuse if offered? No...would gladly try again to see if my opinion changes, Thanks for this @Scott_E

In Hartford in business which means I must go to Vaughan’s and get myself a Guinness and Cod & Chips only to top it off with a small but respectable set of whiskies. Straw, pineapples, toffee, bananas and orange zest with a metallic overtone hovers as you take in the aromas. I noticed the same metallic note as with Teeling’s Small Batch. This may caused by the way the rum cask mixes with the unmalted barley (just an uneducated guess). The body is unexpectedly heavy for an Irish whiskey which are typically lightweight. This arrives with a sugary palate. Brown sugar, creme brûlée, butterscotch are the first flavors to arrive. A bit of tropical pineapple and coconut slide in after the sweetness. From there, the spicy side kicks into gear. Spicy cinnamon and white pepper prickle the tongue. The tropical rum notes are detectable on the finish. Oak tannins dry the palate with a pinch of lemon zest and ginger. The flavors fade quick but the oak dryness lasts. This is a simple, sweet, fun whisky. Much akin to Teeling’s Small Batch but with more weight (and slightly cheaper). There is a definite youngness to the spirit which is kept somewhat in line with the sweet, rum finish. The extra few points in alcohol give it a good sense of gravity, uncommon in most Irish Whiskey’s that are typically bottles at 40%. Find a pour and go have some fun with this Dew. [86/100][Tasted: 4/11/18]

Sweet. Tropical fruits. Dried pineapple and maybe mangoes. Fairly rough for an Irish, but not terrible.