Price: £25-30
ABV: 43%
Appearance: Golden yellow like the flames of a fire licking the sides of the log.
Aroma: Golden Sugar, Granny Smith Apples and Pear Drops.
Taste: Initially there was a strong rush of vanilla creaminess, which was paired with a golden sugar sweetness. Imagine the first spoonful of a creme brûlée, as you crack through the topping into the dessert below.
The middle of the dram, was a really fruity flavour, which took me a while to pin down. At first I thought citrus of lime or lemon, then hovered over caramelised bananas, then finally landing at a combination of pineapple and foam banana sweets.
At the end of the dram the casking seemed to make itself most known, with light spicing and gentle warmth, which sat somewhere between nutmeg and chilli. Then it calmed and returned back to the sweetness of the start.
Mouthfeel: Warming, spirit-filled but also light and drinkable.
Overall: We tasted this alongside a few of the Tullamore Dew range during a tweet tasting, but returned to the sample last week. It was a hugely interesting dram and I think one that would really appeal to those people that love rum, but have never quite understood whiskey. A touch of water or ice (at the risk of upsetting people) develops the fruit sweetness of this dram, so for those looking to find a new love for whiskey, get a bottle and try drinking it this way.
Real Dram Factor: 7.2
Source: Sample from Tweet Tasting
More Information: https://www.tullamoredew.com/en-gb/our-range/xo/
Buy: Have a chat to your local bottle shop or take a flight somewhere and check out travel retail.