FAQ's
Tullamore was one of the many distilleries that was affected by a general decline in Irish whiskey sales worldwide that started with American Prohibition in 1919, then worsened during a trade war with England in the 1930s and was finally hit by the consequences of World War II
The distillery was eventually closed in 1963 when the brand was sold to Powers and production was moved to a larger distillery near Cork in the south - where it is made today to our own specification. This is quite normal in Ireland: most of the well-known Irish whiskeys are made in just two distilleries, each of which produces many different blends.
Find out more about the town of Tullamore
The most evident difference in taste is that Scotch has a ‘smoky’ flavour, while Irish doesn’t. The reason is that the Scots dry their malted barley over burning peat, while the Irish use indirect heat so no smoke enters the production process.
Also, Tullamore Dew and most Irish whiskeys are triple distilled - compared to just twice for most Scotch and American whiskeys - giving Irish a smoother taste.
Find out more about the differences between Irish Whiskey and Scotch.
Some malted barley is needed in the distillation process. This is because the malting process, which dries the grains of barley, releases sugars in the form of starch. These sugars are required to react with yeast in the fermentation process. Unmalted barley does not provide these starches so it would not react with yeast. The malt is needed to start the fermentation process.
In the bourbon whiskey industry casks can only be used for 2 years under American law. Thus, there are literally thousands of casks that would otherwise be thrown away if the Irish Whiskey Industry or the Scotch Whiskey Industry did not use them for maturing their whiskeys. Furthermore, the fact that these casks have been used before adds an extra dimension to the flavour for the maturing whiskey. The same is true for sherry casks. These are especially sought after because having been used previously in sherry maturation, they add a sweet, nutty dimension to the whiskey.
The whiskeys in 12 Year Old Special Reserve and the 10 Year Old Reserve are laid down for much longer – a minimum of 12 years. The whiskeys in the standard blend are between 4 and 7 years old. This adds to the cost because every year about 2% of the whiskey is lost in evaporation – “The Angel’s Share” so, the longer the whiskey is left, the more that goes to The Angel’s Share.
The whiskeys in 12 Year Old Special Reserve and the 10 Year Old Reserve are laid down for much longer – a minimum of 12 years. The whiskeys in the standard blend are between 4 and 7 years old. This adds to the cost because every year about 2% of the whiskey is lost in evaporation – “The Angel’s Share” so, the longer the whiskey is left, the more that goes to The Angel’s Share.
| Name: | Tullamore Dew 10 Year Old Reserve | Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Special Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve: | Reserve | Special Reserve |
| Aged: | Aged in Spanish and American Oak casks | Matured to perfection in Old Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks |
| Colour: | Medium amber gold | Pale amber with orange tinge |
| Nose: | Fresh, malty and woody with intriguing lemony notes | Sweet nuttiness with a touch of charred wood and hint of lemon |
| Body: | Medium bodied with complex flavours of malt and spice, wood and vanilla | Complex and well flavoured combining robust pot still with distinctive malty and sherry notes |
| Palate: | Crisp and complex palate, from long ageing in select casks | Smooth and full; woody undertones giving way to sweet Oloroso nuttiness with just a touch of spice |
| Finish: | A gentle finish, malt and sweetiness slowly fading | Rich, long, pleasantly dry finish which is also slightly lemony and sweet |
The whiskeys that go into Heritage are exceptional blends, especially chosen by the Master Blender. They would be some of the more expensive blends. Furthermore, it is a more complicated process because once the blend has been assembled, it is re-casked for a further 6-9 months before bottling, and so an extra stage in the process has been added to the making of this whiskey. We believe this extra finishing adds roundness and complexity to the blend.
The Irish wolfhounds were introduced by Desmond Williams in the 1950s as a symbol of pedigree, heritage and Irishness. Visit The Irish Wolfhound's Website.
Tullamore Dew is suitable for Coeliacs, however there are trace amounts of Gluten derived from the Caramel added to the Whiskey.
