Tullamore D.E.W Cider Cask Finished – 40% abv

Info: No age statement, but finished in ex-cider casks for 3 months. Triple distilled, triple blend Irish whiskey. Limited production made yearly between September and November.
Colour: Evening gold.
Nose: Rich, refined and malty with a real flinty metallic quality. After a short while it becomes quite aromatic and fragrant. If there are apples then they’re more in the background, quite a sour dry cider apple; don’t think sweet apple juice… they show their head after the whisky has had plenty of time to breath.
Palate: For a 40% abv whisky this has a more than reasonable mouth feel; it’s fairly oily and a little creamy. The hints of toasted oak spices and the flinty metallic note found on the nose is there and, if held on the tongue, the slightly sour caramel sweetness from the cider is found if you look.
Finish: The finish is fragrant, slightly spiced and medium in length.
Thoughts: I’m from cider country, I know proper farmhouse cider when I see it, not the fizzy alcoholic fruit juice crap most people buy. Being a whisky lover I’ve always wanted whisky matured in an ex-cider cask, and at last I have been lucky enough to try this from Tullamore D.E.W which is just that. I’d love to be able to try the cider from the casks they’ve used to be able to understand the flavours better, to know better what it’s imparted to this dram. That said, even without that knowledge this is an enjoyable and tasty dram, very drinkable… Grab yourself a bottle if you ever see it! Did I hope for it to be more cidery? Probably, yes, this is subtle. Enjoyable but subtle, I want more cider and apples!
Available: Travel Retail – i.e. airport duty free.

Thanks to Justine over at Kask Whisky for the sample.