Tullamore D.E.W., the Original Triple Blend Irish whiskey, has launched Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish in the UK. Starting with the original triple distilled, triple blend, triple wood matured Irish whiskey, the brand’s whiskey-makers have given it an additional finish in first fill XO Caribbean rum casks, developing a smoothly satisfying flavour with layers of sweetness and exotic, tropical notes.

Tully XO has been inspired by the brand’s spirit, ‘The Beauty of Blend’, which challenges preconceptions about how great whiskey is made; as well as championing the ways in which cultural diversity can inspire creativity and new experiences, to create an infinitely more interesting world. Evocative of the rum routes and the historic passage of the Irish, the new whiskey takes drinkers on a journey from Ireland to the Caribbean, highlighting the intriguing cultural story.

While the earliest records of whiskey making are found in Ireland, what is less well known is that the Irish also played a role in the early development of rum in the Caribbean. In the 16th and 17th centuries more than 50,000 Irish emigrants arrived in the ‘West Indies’, where it is believed their experience of whiskey distilling became blended with local expertise, playing an instrumental role in the inception and growth of the Caribbean rum business.

Following Tullamore D.E.W.’s previous recognition by the Icons of Whisky, this XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish furthers cements the brand’s reputation as a leader in Irish whiskey innovation. Created for the growing number of whiskey explorers worldwide, this new edition is finished in carefully select barrels previously used to age Demerara rum. It represents the perfect marriage of two of the great historic traditions in spirit distillation: Irish whiskey and Caribbean rum.