2013-10-10

Irish Whiskey Inspired by Strength of Townspeople Who Displayed ‘Irish True’ Spirit in the Face of Adversity After Hot-Air Balloon Disaster of 1785

NEW YORK, NY (October 10, 2013) – Today, Tullamore D.E.W., one of the world’s fastest growing Irish whiskeys, is proud to announce the release of a new variant, Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix.  Born by the strength of a town who witnessed the first ever air disaster on record, the new limited edition Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix celebrates the ultimate courage and optimism of the Tullamore people, who driven by a positive spirit, rebuilt their town, and established the Tullamore Distillery in 1829.

It was May 10th, 1785, when the famous hot-air balloon fire occurred at Barrack Street (now Patrick Street) in Tullamore town.  The accident created a huge inferno that destroyed much of the town.  In the face of this destruction, the undaunted people of Tullamore rebuilt their town over the following decades, including construction of the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery on the very site of the disaster, and the subsequent introduction of its whiskey to the world. Building on that tradition of courage and optimism, they placed the phoenix symbol in the town’s coat of arms to signify a basic belief – ‘all will be well when you face life with optimism.’

“Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix pays homage to the incredible spirit of the people of Tullamore and reaffirms our commitment to the town and its people,” said Tullamore D.E.W. Senior Brand Manager, Cindy Wang. “The release of this new whiskey bridges the re-opening of the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre last year and the expected return of Tullamore D.E.W. to its hometown when our new distillery opens in 2014.”

Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix packaging features the symbol of the Phoenix from Tullamore’s town crest and adorns streetlights throughout its main streets.  The packaging design reflects the revamped styling of the Tullamore D.E.W. Original variant which highlights the heritage of the brand and gives founder Daniel E. Williams’ initials “D.E.W.” more prominence within the brand name.  Phoenix is available in elegant gift boxes with cork tops and is perfect for holiday and special occasion gifting.

Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix just took home a Gold Medal at the 2013 Irish Whiskey Masters for its taste. It is an exceptional whiskey, with mellow complexity, deep leafy, malty notes and smooth vanilla oakiness. It is a limited edition high strength, 55% ABV triple distilled Irish whiskey and finished in Old Oloroso Sherry casks.  It is a blend of all three types of Irish whiskey, pure pot-still, malt and grain whiskey. It is non-chill filtered, and crafted to perfection in small exclusive batches.  Each bottle is uniquely numbered.

Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix is an annual limited edition release with 2,500 9-liter cases now available in the US at the suggested retail price of $54.99 per bottle.

About Tullamore D.E.W.

Tullamore D.E.W. is the second largest Irish whiskey in the world in the fastest growing category. It has been widely acclaimed by whiskey connoisseurs, most recently winning the Double Gold Medal for Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve. Additionally Tullamore D.E.W. 10 Year Single Malt won the Chairman’s Trophy (highest award) for best Single Malt Irish Whiskey at the 2013 Ultimate Spirits Competition.

With an intriguing smooth yet complex character, Tullamore D.E.W. is triple distilled, but is also a unique blend of all three types of Irish whiskeys; the pot still, malt and grain whiskeys. As a result, Tullamore D.E.W. is three times smoother with an added gentle complexity. Tullamore D.E.W. was the first and remains one of the few international Irish whiskey to pioneer this blend of three.

Created in 1829, the brand’s strong heritage started in Tullamore, a town in the heart of Ireland, and was fostered by the vision of an early founder Daniel E. Williams, whose initials live on the bottle to this day. True to its heritage, a new distillery is now being built in the town of Tullamore to bringing Tullamore D.E.W. back to its roots.

Tullamore D.E.W. is best enjoyed to taste, but we recommend neat, on the rocks or served long with ginger beer, fresh lime juice and a dash of bitters in a Tullamore Irish Mule.

About William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and Milagro® Tequila.

Among the most recent accolades for the well-awarded company, William Grant & Sons was honored as the “Distiller of the Year” by the International Wine & Spirit Competition for the second year running and the fourth time since 1999. When counted along with the same designation from the International Spirits Challenge, William Grant & Sons has received this title an unprecedented nine times in the past 12 years.

Founded in 1964, William Grant & Sons USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. and features one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios in the USA with brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry Rum, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Milagro Tequila, Stolichnaya Vodka, Grant’s, Hudson Whiskey, Gibson’s Finest, Monkey Shoulder, Clan MacGregor, Reyka Vodka, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Lillet, Art In The Age, The Knot and Raynal French Brandy. The company has offices in New York City (sales and marketing) and Edison, NJ (bottling and warehouse facilities). For more information on the company and its brands, please visit www.grantusa.com.

For more information about Tullamore D.E.W., please visit www.TullamoreDew.com, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tullamoredew or follow us on Twitter: @TullamoreDew. Glasses Up to Responsible Drinking.

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