About Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve Irish Whiskey

Situated in the Midlands region of Ireland, the city of Tullamore was ruled for centuries by Clan O’Molloy. On May 10, 1785, a hot air balloon crashed into the city and began a fire that destroyed over 100 homes, making Tullamore the site of the world’s first known aviation disaster. Following the accident, the city adopted a phoenix (a phoenix is a mythological Greek bird that is reborn after it dies) rising from the ashes as its coat of arms, a symbol of its resilience and recovery. Tullamore DEW Distillery was founded within 50 years of the accident, and is situated at the very site where the hot air balloon struck a smoking chimney, which started the fire.

Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey is made from three different grains, including malted barley, unmalted barley and corn. Once the grains are harvested, they are milled and mashed with hot water before being fermented in wooden washbacks. During fermentation, the grains’ sugars are converted into alcohol, creating a strong yet sour beer called wash. The wash is then triple distilled through three copper-pot stills: a wash still, a low wines still and a pot still. Through each distillation process, the alcohol content and flavors of the whiskey are intensified.

Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve Irish Whiskey is a triple distilled blend of all three types of Irish whiskies, each aged from 12 to 15 years. In particular, the pot still and malt whiskies — aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks — play outsized roles in this blend, contributing to the whiskey’s unique character and complexity.

As a result of both the blending and aging process, Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve Irish Whiskey has an aroma of roasted nuts, red wine, cherry blossoms and a hint of citrus zest. That gives way to bold notes of cinnamon spice on the palate, bolstered by an undercurrent of sherry, vanilla and whipped cream. The finish is long and smooth, with more notes of sherry balanced by dark chocolate and almond butter.

Tullamore DEW 12 Year Old Special Reserve earned the Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2013 and was named “Best in Class” at the 2012 International Spirits Challenge.

Pick up a “Best in Class” Irish whiskey today!