Tullamore Dew

The Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre at Bury Quay, Tullamore is housed in a former bonded warehouse belonging to the original distillery.

The origins of Tullamore D.E.W. date back to 1829, when a distillery was established in Tullamore by Michael Molloy.[3] On his death, the distillery eventually passed to his nephew, Bernard Daly who later appointed Daniel E. Williams as the distillery's General Manager.[3] Under Williams's watchful eye, the distillery expanded and prospered, launching the whiskey bearing his initials (D.E.W.), Tullamore D.E.W..[3]

In 1954, the distillery ceased production, having, like many of those in Ireland at the time, been hit by declining sales due to a number of factors such as Prohibition, the Anglo-Irish Trade War and high taxes introduced by the Irish Free State.[3]

In the 1960s, with whiskey stocks running low, rather than reopen the distillery, the owners opted to sell the brand to John Powers & Son, the Dublin distillers.[3] In 1966, John Powers & Son merged with two other Irish distilleries to form Irish Distillers. In the 1970s, Irish Distillers closed their existing distilleries and consolidated production at a new distillery built in Midleton, County Cork.

A cask bearing the "Tullamore Dew" brand

In 1994, Irish Distillers, then concentrating their international focus on promoting Jameson Irish whiskey, sold the brand to the C&C Group.[7] Subsequently, the C&C Group divested their entire liqueur and spirit business (including Tullamore D.E.W.), which was acquired by William Grant & Sons for €300 million in 2010.[8] At which point, Tullamore D.E.W. was still being produced under license by at the Midleton Distillery.[9] Therefore, as expansion of the brand was dependent on the availability of whiskey from Midleton, and with significant growth envisaged, William Grant & Sons opted to construct a new distillery in Tullamore, rather than depend on outsourced production.[9]

Construction of the distillery is to take place on a phased basis.[9] Phase one was completed in 2014, which saw production of whiskey return to Tullamore for the first time in sixty years.[5] The new distillery has the capability to produce both malt and pot still whiskey. However, it does not yet have a Coffey still installed to allow the production of grain whiskey. Therefore, as Tullamore D.E.W. is a blend of all three varieties of Irish whiskey,[10] the grain whiskey component of the blend will continue to be sourced from Midleton until phase two is completed.[8]

As of 2015, the whiskey sells about 950,000 cases per year (an amount that has doubled since 2005).[11]

Tullamore D.E.W. Original

As of 2023 a range of seven whiskeys are sold under the Tullamore D.E.W. brand:[12]

• Tullamore D.E.W. Original Irish Whiskey (40% ABV, 80 Proof); a blend of triple-distilled pot still and malt, plus grain whiskey; matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks[13]
• Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve (40% ABV, 80 Proof): blend with a high pot still and malt content; aged for 12–15 years in ex-bourbon and sherry casks[14]
• Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old Single Malt (41.3% ABV, 82.6 Proof): triple distilled, finished in bourbon, port, Madeira, and Oloroso sherry casks[15]
• Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt (41.3% ABV, 82.6 Proof): matured 18 years in ex-bourbon casks, and finished in ex-Oloroso sherry butts, ex-port pipes and ex-Madeira drums[16]
• Tullamore D.E.W. Old Bonded Warehouse Release (46% ABV, 92 Proof): released in 2012 to celebrate the opening of a visitor centre in an old bonded warehouse (hence the name), it is only available in the visitor center; aged in Oloroso casks[17]
• Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask Finish (40% ABV, 80 Proof): finished in cider casks; was released in June 2015 for sale through airport retail outlets. It is claimed to be the first ever cider cask–finished Irish whiskey. Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey is finished for three months in barrels that have stored pressed fermenting apples for several months.[18]
• Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish (43% ABV, 86 Proof):Original triple distilled triple blend of pot still, malt and grain Irish whiskey finished in first fill XO rum casks previously used to age Demerara rum to impart their distinctive tropical fruit and warm spice flavors.

Past releases include:

• Tullamore D.E.W. 10 Year Old Single Malt (40% ABV, 80 Proof): single malt matured in ex-bourbon, Oloroso, Port and Madeira casks[19]
• Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Finished Limited Release (46% ABV, 92 Proof)
• Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix Limited Edition (55% ABV, 110 Proof): named for a 1785 hot air balloon accident which nearly burned down the town of Tullamore; a blend with a high pot still content; aged in Oloroso sherry casks; originally available in travel retail[20]
• Tullamore D.E.W. 15 Year Old Trilogy Small Batch (40% ABV, 80 Proof): a blend; aged in ex-bourbon, Oloroso and rum casks[21]
• Tullamore D.E.W. Collector's Edition (43% ABV, 86 Proof), triple distilled and finished in Caribbean rum casks[15]

• Tullamore Dew is the whiskey of choice for Lisbeth Salander, the lead character in Stieg Larsson's Millennium novel series.[22]
• In his early days folk singer Dave Van Ronk frequently performed with his trademark stoneware jug of Tullamore D.E.W. on stage next to him.[23]
• In his early letters later collected in The Proud Highway, Hunter S. Thompson makes frequent mention of Tullamore Dew.
• Tullamore Dew is the whiskey of choice for the widow MacDonagh in Kevin Hearne's The Iron Druid Chronicles.

• List of whisky brands

• Tullamore D.E.W. official website