The Second Most Popular Irish Whiskey in the World Embraces the Island Life: A $26 Caribbean Drink You Should Meet

Tullamore D.E.W. (the D.E.W. stands for early founder Daniel E. Williams) dates back to 1829. It was born in the Irish town of Tullamore, County Offaly. Williams was a stable boy at the distillery he would later come to own.

The whiskey is triple distilled and triple blended, a mélange of pot still, malt and grain whiskeys. It’s the No. 2 Irish whiskey in the world, by number of cases sold annually (950,000 in 2015), behind far-ahead leader Jameson (6.5 million cases in the 12 months ending June 30, 2017).

Irish whiskey is hot, so to speak. We’re talking nearly 20 percent annual growth in exports as of late.

I’ve had my fair share of Jameson and Tullamore D.E.W., and there’s always a bottle of Irish whiskey on my bar. I sip it neat, and I use it to make Irish Coffee (and other drinks). (A friend of mine — his name is James — experienced an epiphany in Munich while under the effect of Jameson, and since then, I’ve enjoyed a snifter of it weekly to honor our time in that Bavarian city.)

I recently sampled a new whiskey from Tullamore D.E.W., a bottle the house (owned by William Grant & Sons) calls the Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish. This whiskey is finished in barrels that once held Demerara rum, and I plan to add it to my bar’s inventory, because it’s one I’ve enjoyed tasting and using in cocktails for the past several months. (Feel free to add a drop or two of water to your pour.)

“The new Caribbean Rum Cask Finish is a versatile addition to the Tullamore D.E.W. range,” says Tim Herlihy, U.S. ambassador for Tullamore D.E.W. “The new release is delicious when enjoyed neat or on the rocks, in a classic cocktail or even in unexpected Caribbean-inspired drinks. We’re eager for whiskey explorers to discover this new, delicious extension.”

Irish immigrants played a pivotal role in the development of the Caribbean rum industry in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Tullamore says that the Rum Cask Finish is a tribute to their work.

Here’s what you can expect: On the nose, soft fruit (sweetly browned banana, spiced orange peel), and a mouthfeel that’s creamy. The taste is a touch sweet, but the alcohol (bottled at 43 ABV) tempers that, and you get a long finish marked by the banana and caramel.

The 750 ml bottle retails for $26, making it an affordable everyday libation.

As I noted, sip this neat, or make a cocktail for your guests (and yourself). Here’s one I recommend, the Queen’s Park Swizzle. It’s refreshing, has a kick, and will spark conversation.

Make this cocktail in a Collins glass. Assemble the following in shaker: 1/2 teaspoon Giffard Apricot Liqueur; 1/2 ounce cinnamon; 1/2 ounce vanilla syrup (click here to make your own); 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice; 2 ounces Tullamore D.E.W. Caribbean Rum Cask. Use pebble ice and whip shake, top with four dashes of Angostura bitters and four dashes of Peychaud’s bitters, garnish with a sprig of mint.

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