I think the Tullamore Dew 14 that I recently reviewed was meant to replace this one. Both single malts aged in Olorosso sherry, bourbon, port, and madeira casks. This one is slightly lower in ABV at 40% and obviously is 4 years younger. Let's see if those upgrades were enough to warrant discontinuing this one.
Nose: Shortbread/sugar cookie, vanilla frosting, and caramel. Pencil shavings. Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Plum. Perfume and floral notes. A little mango salsa. Oak. No ethanol burn. Solid nose.
Palate: Apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin on arrival. Caramel, shortbread cookie, toffee, and vanilla. Cranberry, blackberry, and plum. That represents the port. Some lime citrus. Just a bit of heat and spcie coming in the form of black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Oaky and woody. Great stuff.
Finish: Length falls between short and medium--which should not be surprising at 40% ABV. Apple, pear, apricot, and banana, followed by cocoa, oak, and some light baking spices. It makes for a decent finish.
This is very good whiskey. It definitely would've benefitted from a bump in ABV. The 4 casks play nicely here. Like with the 14-year, the bourbon barrel influence is obvious. The port cask takes prominence over the Olorosso that the 14-year favored. Overall, they're very similar, and my rating for each is identical.
What does this mean? Perhaps the whiskey itself is simply overpowered by the cask variation at play. That would be understandable. Maybe the cask selection has devolved at some time between the transition between this whiskey to the 14-year. I lean toward the former.
I won't look too much into that. The fact is that both are solid whiskeys. If you're a fan of Tully or Irish whiskey in general--and you're fortunate enough to spot one of these in the wild--buy on sight. Well worth the $55. Personally, I wouldn't mind TD reinstating this release alongside the 14, giving the former a bump up to 46% ABV. As it is, this one is solid.
55.0
USD
per
Bottle