Max "Bunny" Sparber

PLASTIC PADDY: THE IRISH AMERICAN PROJECT | POTEEN: TULLAMORE DEW

2009-11-29T23:26:00.003-06:00

I WASN'T MAD FOR TULLAMORE DEW the first time I tried it, several years ago. It's sweet and unsubtle, although terrifically smooth; this combination makes it a popular recommendation as a starter Irish whiskey, but I am not new to Irish whiskeys, and prefer them bolder and more complicated.

But the taste has grown on me. It grows on a lot of people: The company claims it is the second highest selling Irish whiskey in the world, which is a bit of a surprise to an American like me, as Jameson and Bushmills are the only two Irish whiskeys battling for market dominance here. But, then, it isn't in America where Tullamore Dew has its real audience, it's Europe, where apparently the drink even outsells scotch in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Latvia.

As I have mentioned, the truth is that Bushmills and Jameson taste a lot alike until you start getting into the more aged and expensive versions. They have differences, yes, but they are subtle. Tullamore Dew hails from a different county that either of its competitors (County Offaly, to be specific, while Jameson is from Cork and Bushmills from Antrim), and is owned by the C&C Group, while, until recently, Bushmills and Jameson shared an owner, Pernod Ricard. I don't know that either of these facts contributes to the sameness of Jameson or Bushmills or influences the distinctiveness of Tullamore Dew. I'm not even sure that Jameson and Bushmills aren't, in fact, miles apart in terms of flavor and my palate is just too immature and unnuanced to distinguish them. But the fact is, to me, Tullamore Dew tastes very different.

And it isn't just the drink's sweetness or simplicity of flavor, although these are the qualities that are first evident. No, there's a fruity, almost lemony quality to the whiskey that sometimes tastes like sweet apples to me. Both Jameson and Bushmills have relatively long finishes, and they have flavors that reveal themselves for a while after you have swallowed the drink. Tullamore Dew doesn't have this -- it's flavor lingers only for a moment after you drink it and just doesn't add that many new notes, although the finish is less sweet than the start. No, Tullamore Dew is a drink that really announces itself when it is on your mouth, and while it might lack some complexity, it's a pretty bold flavor with just a hint of sharpness to it. There's also a particularly noticeable malt flavor to the drink, which might be the exact reason the flavor has grown on me, as I tend to like malted drinks, including milkshakes and Malt-O-Meal. I am not sure what it is about malted barley that I like so much, although, if I had to guess, it's the fact that by allowing the grain to partially germinate, enzymes are converted into sugar, but it's not simply the sweetness that appeals to me. Malt has a very distinctive taste -- it's not purely sweet, but has an earthier, almost chocolaty flavor, although the comparisons don't really do it justice. Malt tastes like malt, and I like the taste. When you've finished a slug of Tullamore Dew, and its flavor has quickly dissipated from your mouth, there is a distinct malt flavor that remains, and I find it sort of irresistible.

Tullamore Dew offers some higher priced versions, one aged 10 years, another aged 12, and a highly regarded version called Tullamore Dew heritage. I am curious to try these. Bushmills and Jameson really becomes distinctive in their pricier brands, but Tullamore Dew starts out distinctive. I am curious as to what it will taste like when it gains the additional complexity that comes from the aging process.

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Max "Bunny" Sparber

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