Tullamore Dew 18 Year Single Malt 750ML

Tullamore Dew 18 Year Single Malt 750ML is a triple-distilled Irish single malt whiskey bottled at 41.3% ABV after 18 years of maturation. What distinguishes this expression is a rare four-cask finishing process — ex-bourbon barrels, ex-Oloroso sherry butts, ex-port pipes, and ex-Madeira drums — with fewer than 2,500 bottles produced annually. It earned Gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge in both 2021 and 2022.

Quick Facts: ABV: 41.3%  |  Origin: Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland  |  18 Year Age Statement  |  Distillery: Tullamore D.E.W.

Production & Heritage

Tullamore D.E.W. traces its roots to the town of Tullamore in Ireland's Midlands, County Offaly — a region with a long but often overlooked distilling history. This 18 Year Single Malt is built on a 100% malted barley mashbill and triple-distilled in the traditional Irish style, yielding a characteristically smooth spirit before it enters its lengthy maturation. The whiskey spends the bulk of its 18 years in ex-bourbon barrels, then receives a minimum six-month finishing rotation through three additional cask types: ex-Oloroso sherry butts, ex-port pipes, and ex-Madeira drums. This four-cask finishing approach is unusual in the Irish single malt category and accounts for the whiskey's layered complexity. Production is limited to fewer than 2,500 bottles per year, placing this firmly in limited-release territory.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with rich malt and toasted oak before giving way to caramelized baked apple and a thread of tobacco leaf. Beneath those primary notes, dark sugar and spiced cake emerge, hinting at the sherry and Madeira influence.

Taste: On entry, tropical fruit and vanilla arrive with a buttery, almost pastry-like texture. The mid-palate deepens with cinnamon, toasted marshmallow, and woody spices. At its peak, the port and Madeira cask influence becomes evident through a dark-fruit sweetness balanced by gentle oak tannins.

Finish: Long, rich, and warming, with a lingering malty sweetness woven through cinnamon and baked apple. Biscuit-like notes round out the close, leaving a subtle sherry-driven warmth that slowly fades.

How to Drink Tullamore 18

Neat is the ideal serve here — at 41.3% ABV, the whiskey is already approachable without water, and a few drops will further open the tropical and baked-fruit character. A single large ice cube works well in warmer months without drowning the cask-driven complexity. For cocktails: try it in a Hot Toddy, where the cinnamon and baked apple notes amplify warm spice; an Irish Coffee, where the buttery vanilla texture adds depth against coffee bitterness; or a refined Whiskey Sour, where the tropical fruit and sherry sweetness hold up beautifully against citrus.

Best For

• Gifting to an Irish whiskey enthusiast seeking a rare, age-stated expression
• After-dinner sipping alongside dessert or a fine cigar
• Adding a limited-production bottle to a serious whiskey collection
• Celebrating a milestone occasion with something genuinely scarce

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tullamore 18 taste like? It delivers a layered profile of tropical fruit, vanilla, and buttery pastry on the palate, moving into cinnamon and woody spices, with a long finish marked by baked apple and sherry warmth. The four-cask finishing gives it more complexity than most Irish single malts at this age.

How does Tullamore 18 compare to Jameson Bow Street 18? Both are 18-year Irish whiskeys, but Tullamore 18 is a single malt finished in four cask types at 41.3% ABV, while Jameson Bow Street 18 is a single pot still whiskey bottled at cask strength (55.3% ABV). The Tullamore leans toward tropical fruit and multi-cask complexity, whereas Bow Street delivers a bolder, higher-proof pot still character.

Is Tullamore 18 good for sipping neat? Yes — its 41.3% ABV makes it immediately smooth and approachable neat, while the 18 years of maturation and four-cask finishing provide enough depth and layered flavor to reward slow, contemplative sipping.

Where is Tullamore 18 made? It is produced at the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery in Tullamore, County Offaly, in the Irish Midlands. This region sits at the geographic heart of Ireland and has a distilling heritage dating back centuries.

What foods pair well with Tullamore 18? Dark chocolate truffles complement the sherry and Madeira cask sweetness. Aged cheddar or Comté cheese echoes the nutty, malty backbone. Apple tart or tarte Tatin mirrors the baked apple notes directly. Smoked salmon plays off the buttery texture, and crème brûlée ties into the caramelized sugar and vanilla.

What sizes does Tullamore 18 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for this limited-production expression.

Is Tullamore 18 worth the price? This expression positions as a premium, limited-release Irish single malt — production sits below 2,500 bottles per year, and the four-cask finishing process is uncommon at any price tier. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking age-stated Irish whiskey with genuine scarcity, it represents strong value relative to comparable 18-year offerings.

Why Tullamore 18?

The four-cask finishing process — bourbon, Oloroso sherry, port, and Madeira — is a production detail you rarely encounter in Irish single malt whiskey, and it gives this 18-year expression a complexity that punches well above many competitors. Gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge in consecutive years (2021 and 2022) and Gold at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2021 confirm what the palate suggests: this is a seriously accomplished whiskey. With annual production under 2,500 bottles, availability is genuinely limited, not merely marketed as such. For drinkers who appreciate aged Irish whiskey that goes beyond the conventional bourbon-barrel profile, this four-cask approach delivers a distinctive and rewarding glass.