As ever, this Tullamore DEW review is entirely unbiased; I bought the bottle myself. Sure, I’ll leave an Amazon link at the bottom that you can click on if you’re after a bottle, but that won’t stop me giving it a tanking if it deserves one. It does however, help to keep wee sites like this one ticking over if you ever use that link to buy.
Tullamore DEW Review
Like a lot of folk, my ancestral origins are tied up in Ireland. As I’m not going to get chance to take a trip over to the motherland any time soon, I thought I’d do the next best thing and buy a bottle of Irish whiskey from the closest distillery to my ancestral home in Donegal.
No such luck though. Despite whiskey being invented in Ireland, a combination of America’s prohibition and the UK slapping heavy tariffs on it meant that Irish whiskey export sales plummeted. As a result, Ireland’s number of distilleries dwindled from 28 in 1890, to just two in 1966.
Of course, this means that although loads of Irish distilleries are starting to pop up again now, there aren’t any regional whiskies still around now that my forefathers might have reasonably been assumed to have enjoyed.
So I thought, “sod it, let’s just get a cheap bottle of Tullamore DEW”.
How Much is Tullamore DEW?
Cheap! It’s always on offer somewhere, and can usually be found for £16-£20. For this particular bottle, I found myself entirely drinkless on a Friday night, so paid £24 from the local Co-Op in my desperation.
I have seen it up at the heady heights of £30 for a 70cl bottle. That’s a bit mad. I wouldn’t really want to pay much more than £20 if I were buying it again.
On the Nose
Ethanol. Nose-wise, I can’t really make much out past the alcohol. At this point, it could just as easily be 10-year-old aftershave I’m about to drink.
Is Tullamore DEW Suitable for Sipping Neat?
Just. Thankfully the taste is quite as alcohol-forward as the nosing suggested. There’s the typical Irish whiskey profile of a sweet creaminess. Actually, it’s out-and-out flapjack coming through. Perhaps a hint of green apple too. That’s it though, this is a fairly straightforward dram.
Much is made of Tullamore DEW’s triple distillation making it smooth and approachable, but to be honest, I found a little too much ethanol in the palate to make this a regular sipper.
Is Tullamore DEW Suitable for Mixing?
I reckon this is probably where the makers see this going. Even Tullamore DEW’s official website suggests that the way to drink it is with tonic water and a wedge of orange.
Tullamore DEW Review – Verdict
Once you get past the strong ethanol, the creamy flapjackiness behind it is pleasant enough and fairly representative of a standard Irish whiskey. It’s lacking in any sort of complexity, but will do in a pinch if you’ve got nothing else in. A passable sipper, but probably best suited to mixing 4/10.
You’ll Probably like Tullamore DEW if You Already Like…
Weirdly, it reminds me of Duppy Share Rum. Don’t ask me why though. Obviously worth a look if you’re already happy with other budget Irish bottles such as Jamesons, Bushmills and Powers.
Looking for a more complex whisky for your sub £20? Look no further than this Lidl wonder!
If you’re stood in front of supermarket shelves debating your next whisky purchase, you’ve probably got some Laphroaig in front of you too.
I can’t explain it, but Tullamore DEW reminds me a bit of this particular rum. Odd one.