Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old

VA ABC- $49.99

Total Wine - $71.99

Class VI - $XX.xx

ABV - 40%

AGE - 12 Years 

Tullamore D.E.W.

1 Dec 24

From the VA ABC website:  Triple cask-matured for depth and balance. A very fine aged whiskey derived from 12 to 15 years matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks. A carefully crafted blend of old Irish whiskeys with a high proportion of pot still and malt whisk

eys. This unique whiskey has been awarded plaudits in abundance from whiskey connoisseurs around the world. Dried fruits and nuts accompany chocolate giving this whiskey a veritable praline note.

How's it made?  From their website:  “A carefully crafted blend of old Irish whiskeys with a high proportion of pot still and malt whiskeys.” - “a high proportion of” is really doing a lot of lifting here.  What does that mean?  Well, I think it tells us that there’s some column, or ‘Coffey’ still distillate in the mix and they really don’t want to talk about that.  The label tells us it’s a blend, so we can already assume that there’s some column still whiskey in there.  What’s wrong with a column still?  Among whiskey purists (snobs), a pot still puts out better distillate.  Is that really true?  I don’t think so, many, if not most, bourbons come from column stills.  But, Tullimore wants to accentuate the positive so they say ‘a high proportion’.  Nothing wrong with that.  That’s marketing.  

And notice that it’s a 12-year-old whiskey but there’s 15-year-old juice in there too.  They can only label it with the youngest whiskey in the bottle.  But, learning that there’s 15-year-old whiskey in the mix tells us that this is something special.  Finishing in sherry casks is always welcome to an enthusiast who likes their whiskey neat (without ice).  It brings a whole new experience.

This very approachable pour is perfect for those who are curious about other whiskies in addition to bourbon.  If you asked me about getting into Irish whiskey, I’d say any of the Tullamores are an excellent choice.  It’s easy to find in the DMV area.  Pretty much all liquor stores and bars are going to have the D.E.W.  The 12-year-old is just that much smoother and more enjoyable than the original which doesn’t have an age statement.  

(I’ll admit that I’m shocked at the price disparity between VA ABC and Total Wine.  Whodda thunk?!  The state store is cheaper.  Huh.  Note to self:  Assume nothing.  Always have both websites open when shopping for booze.)

I was always curious about why the ‘dew’ in Tullamore D.E.W. were initials.  As it turns out, ‘D.E.W.’ are the initials of Daniel Edmund Williams, the man who started the distillery.  He made some delicious whiskey.  So, there ya go.  Whiskey and Politics is there for you. གཙང་བཞེས!

Learn more about a ‘Coffey Still’ here.

D.E.W Fashioned

• 50ml Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve Irish Whiskey

• 10ml Sugar Syrup

• 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

• 60ml Irish Stout

1. Add 50ml Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve, 10ml of simple syrup and 3 dashes of Angostura© bitters to the base of an old fashioned glass. 

2. Fill the glass with ice and stir with cautious vigour(sic). 

3. Allow to settle briefly and top with Irish stout.