There are a lot of whiskeys that come out of Ireland, and lots of very good ones. Today we have the Tullamore Dew Phoenix, an Irish Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks, and we have a couple of additional reviewers, Diedra and Patrick. This is their bottle of whiskey, and they shared it with us for this review.
Color: Amber/Gold, clear.
Nose: This Whiskey starts off on your nose with malted barley, caramel, grain/cereal notes, and some spice. There are also some faint dried fruit and of course the sherry. It is inviting, but it does show a bit of that 55% abv on the nose.
Palate: Right off the start the grains and malt are apparent, with some fruit notes. Patrick and Diedra both really noticed the oak flavors, and that sweet sherry that comes through. The sherry isn’t the only sweet flavor, there are also notes of brown sugar or molasses. On the mid palate, there is some heat, but the sip is remarkably smooth given the high proof of the spirit.
After adding a couple drops of water:
Nose: There are a lot more fruit notes, and the cereal grain smells still come through. There is also a smell of overripe banana in there as well.
Palate: The sip opens up a ton with a couple drops of water. The heat almost disappears entirely, leaving a sweet, fruit, and oaky sip that finishes with delicious sherry notes and lingers for a long time.
Ratings:
A: 89/100
D: 92/100
P: 95/100
Z: 86/100
Overall: 91/100
Some final notes:
This is a terrific pickup, a lot smoother than you would expect for a 110 proof spirit. Diedra, who is not a whiskey drinker, really enjoyed it, the sherry and sweet notes making it extremely enjoyable. Patrick also wanted it noted that this whiskey happens to pair very well the Orange Gummy Bear from Sprouts Market.
