I attended on October 6-8. At the Stockholm Beer and Whiskey festival I had the opportunity to try many whiskeys. The first stand I see as soon as I enter the festival area. Tullamore DEW was the stand.

Since I went in the early hours before the crowd started Ireland I was able to ask all my questions about whiskeys and got information about all the expressions of the brand. In addition, I did a small vertical tasting.

I tried 3 different expressions of the brand in vertical tasting. Tullamore DEW Special Reserve, Tullamore DEW 12-year and Tullamore DEW Phonenix in the NAS (year not specified) category.

Here are my tasting notes for each expression:

Tullamore DEW (40% abv)

Nose: Fruity, caramel, almost like a fudge.

Palate: Spices, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. Very sharp on the palate.

Finish: Medium length, spice, walnut and caramel.

Tullamore DEW 12 (40% abv)

Nose: Fruity, honey, strawberry, creamy.

Palate: It is creamy on the palate as it is on the nose. Fruity notes, honey and spice.

Finish: A medium finish, with fruity aromas plus some hazelnut and oak.

Tullamore DEW Phoenix (55% abv)

Nose: Caramel, vanilla and oak. Woody notes are accompanied by floral notes, albeit slightly. High alcohol level is felt in the nose.

Palate: Sugary notes dominate, chocolate, apple and honey. A sharp build.

Finish: Medium length. The sharpness of alcohol dominates the finish, too. Dried fruits, oak and vanilla notes rise as they wait.

In summary;

My favorite among the 3 expressions of the brand Tullamore DEW Phoenix it happened. The biggest reason for this is that oak and woody aromas stand out in a balanced way along with fruity notes. Of course, I am making this comment purely according to my personal tastes. I would say Phoenix is a less fruity whiskey than Special Reserve and 12 year old. For this reason, a whiskey lover who prefers fruity flavors may also prefer Special Reserve or 12-year-old expressions.

My only negative comment for Phoenix was that I felt the effect of alcohol intensely from nose to finish, so it may be more enjoyable to drink with a few drops of water.

Sláinte!