Whiskey of the Week: Tullamore D.E.W. Honey is doing too much

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

Tullamore D.E.W. exists in a weird spot for me. I know it’s Irish whiskey. I know it’s *pretty good* Irish whiskey. But it lacks the recognition of Jameson or even Powers here in Wisconsin.

On top of that, Irish whiskey tends to lag behind the other whiskeys in my life. I love bourbon. I really love Scotch. But I only like Irish whiskey, which is smooth and entirely drinkable on ice or with a mixer but often escapes me.

Thus, it seemed like a good time to try the pride of Tullamore, Ireland’s latest offering. Tullamore D.E.W. Honey is exactly what it sounds like; a honey-infused take on the distillery’s classic blend. On paper, that’s an easy win. Mix Drambuie and Scotch and you’ve got an iconic cocktail. Put it all in one bottle and you’ve got the rusty nail taste in half the steps.

Of course, Tullamore D.E.W. Honey would like to be more than that. Let’s see if it pans out.

Honey, neat: C+

It pours mahogany brown. It smells boozy and warm, with the sweet honey and vanilla apparent right off the top. It’s very clear this isn’t a typical whiskey but a liqueur, but I love a good rusty nail so I’m on board.

Wow. This is more saccharine sweet cocktail in a bottle than a whiskey. It’s soft and… yeah, sugary. That washes away any heat from the 35 percent ABV within. I’d say that makes it easy to drink, but there’s a certain syrupy aspect to it that makes it at least slightly difficult to come back to.

It’s not subtle or complex. It’s honey and a little vanilla and citrus, but mostly honey. There’s a little warmth at the finish, but the aftertaste is slightly gritty sugar. It feels like it would benefit greatly from the thinning influence of a little ice, so…

Honey on ice: B

The ice dulls the heat slightly, but the smell off the top still gives off a “fancy coffee creamer” vibe. A couple cubes does thin it out slightly, making it the superior way to drink it. It’s still a bit formless, a little sloppy, but it’s fine.

With the ice, it feels more like a cocktail than a half-formed shot. It’s not perfect, but it’s less syrupy and more pleasant on your tongue. I’m getting the distinct feeling this was meant for either chilled shots or as a component in bolder cocktails. Ah, well, it’s still OK.

Would I drink it instead of a Hamm’s?

This is a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Tullamore D.E.W. Honey over a cold can of Hamm’s?

I’d happily rip a shot of it if someone was celebrating an occasion, but there are better whiskeys out there. And if you want a touch of honey with your whiskey, a rusty nail is always going to be superior.