As we anticipate the imminent debut of Echlinville’s inaugural spirit, I find it fitting to reflect on some of my favourite Echlinville releases over the past while. This review aims to spotlight the brand’s evolution and offer insights into what the future might hold in terms of the appearance, flavour, and impact of Echlinville’s forthcoming release.

I openly confessed to being one of Dunville’s most ardent admirers since the early days of the Water of Life. Even before tasting the elixir, the bottle and the brand itself held an irresistible draw and beauty. Echlinville wasted no time in investing in branding when they relaunched the brand in 2013, perfectly encapsulating its legendary status. Reminiscing about my father taking me to the pub, I recall walls adorned with mirrors featuring esteemed brands like ‘Black and White’, ‘Powers’, and of course, ‘Dunville’s’. Few brands evoke as much allure as Dunville’s.

I also admitted that while Redbreast was my first love, Dunville’s felt like a long-term relationship. Watching the brand evolve, I became enamoured with my first bottle: a 10-year-old Dunville’s PX single malt, which resonated deeply with me. Its exquisite balance of sweetness and spice, coupled with its depth of flavour and overall character, stood out in an Irish whiskey landscape often characterised by predictability, especially during the ‘Irish whiskey boom’. Some even credit Echlinville as the catalysts of this boom. From that moment, I became captivated, eagerly tracking their core offerings like the Three Crowns and the 1808 as they diversified and expanded their range.

As Echlinville expanded their core offerings, the introduction of the ‘Dark Series’ truly excited Dunville’s fans. Consisting of around 8, 12-year-old single cask single malts, all offered at cask strength, this series sparked a frenzy. I vividly recall eagerly waiting until seven o’clock in the evening to log on to the Dunville’s website, knowing it would inevitably crash due to the sheer volume of traffic from eager buyers. It was a true first-come, first-served scenario, with bottles selling out within minutes. This moment marked Echlinville’s emergence as esteemed purveyors of ‘sourced’ liquid, showcasing their exceptional ability and leaving an indelible mark on enthusiasts.

The pace of single-cask offerings from Dunville’s continued at a remarkable rate, showcasing their ability to both source exceptional liquid and diversify their range. Introducing finishes like Palo Cortado and Oloroso, while maintaining the trademark sherry theme, demonstrated their skilful adaptation. Demand for Dunville’s soared, with various establishments clamouring for their own exclusive single cask releases, including the Friend at Hand, CarryOut, Fairley’s Wines, and the Palace Bar.

Moreover, paying homage to history, Dunville’s unveiled an 18-year-old whiskey finished in Port Mourant rum casks. This release served as the brand’s showpiece, encapsulated in a stunning Dunville’s VR red presentation box, complete with a Dunville’s mirror and a sample of the 41-year-old rum disgorged from the very cask the whiskey matured in. While pricing stirred debate, this release was a tribute to the fans and showcased Echlinville’s commitment to restoring Dunville’s to its former glory.

As anticipation for Echlinville’s own spirit reached a fever pitch, questions about its release date became commonplace. Yet, as the questions persisted, the stream of releases from Dunville’s showed no signs of slowing down. Notably, “Whiskey Talkin’” made its debut on the BBC nearly three years ago, featuring Mark Thompson, Dunville’s brand graphic designer, teaming up with Dr. Fionnan O’Connor, an Irish whiskey historian. Together, they unravelled the captivating tale of what was once the world’s foremost whiskey industry.

The program shed light on another iconic brand, Old Comber, which had also fallen victim to the decline in popularity of Scotch and the subsequent downturn of Irish whiskey. Highlighting a seven-year-old pot still Irish whiskey finished in Port casks, the show reignited excitement. Particularly noteworthy was the revelation that Echlinville’s own spirit was among those featured in the blend—a significant milestone marking the first public unveiling of Echlinville’s proprietary spirit.

Furthermore, the flood of releases continued unabated. Dunville’s core family welcomed several new additions, including a 10-year-old and a 21-year Palo Cortado, a 20-year-old Oloroso cask, and notably, a reimagining of the 10-year-old—reminiscent of encountering an ex-long-term partner in public.

Amidst this flurry of activity, accolades began pouring in. At the 2023 World Whiskey Awards, Dunville’s 21-Year-Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt, at 46% abv, was crowned Ireland’s Best Single Malt. Additionally, they secured Ireland’s Best Single Cask Whiskey with their PX 20-Year-Old Cask Strength, among a total of 11 other awards—an impressive achievement for a brand yet to unveil its own spirit. Moreover, Dunville’s 21-Year-Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask 1197 clinched the prestigious title of Whiskey Of The Year at the 2022 Irish Whiskey Awards, further cementing the brand’s reputation for excellence.

Dunville’s 18-Year-Old Port Mourant Rum finish

Price: £585 (available from the Echlinville Shop)

ABV: 57.1%

Nose: Lots of richness coming through. Crème brûlée to the fore and toffee apples really evident on the nose. Smells oily and mature. A little bit of green apple and some Caramac bar. Lots of depth and complexity already.

Palate: Plenty of sherbet and treacle, really sweet but almost refined sweetness. A little wood too with some dark sugar molasses. Some spice too, cinnamon especially. Feels balanced. Definitely banana malt loaf and fizzy cola bottles. Some butterscotch too.

Finish: Quite long; Terry’s chocolate orange, gingerbread and Wether’s originals.

Score: 7.5/10

Old Comber 7-Year-Old Pot Still

Price: £40 (sold out, but now upwards of £200 at auction….)

ABV: 46%

Nose: A burst of fragrance on the nose to begin with, distinguishable perfume and short hints of lavender shortly after. There’s a sweety infusion of fizzy cherry cola bottles, fruit salads, pear drops and love hearts that strike some nostalgia into me. Some ginger and pepperiness slice through the sweetness and give it some balance. A real sweet-fest on the nose, very nice indeed.

Palate: An explosion of creamy goodness. An initial burst of peppercorns and spiciness then comes a wave of chilli chocolate, but with less burn and more warmth.The double-distilled nature of it means that the actual viscosity of it comes through. Cakey notes of Victoria sponge and Battenberg are both commonly identified. The port cask has had a real influential impact on this; the creaminess, spiciness and cake notes then transition to berry desserts.

Finish: The flavours linger on for a while given the 46% ABV/ Kiwi fruits and nectarines, dark chocolate, mince pies and fruit cake all dawdle on the palate and leave you wanting more.

Score: 8/10

Dunville’s 10-Year-Old Palo Cortado

Price: £69.95 (available on Echlinville’s online shop)

ABV: 46%

Nose: Beautiful orchard notes of fresh and crisp pink ladies with a little hint of dried mango. The fruit notes continue to ripe peaches and red grapes, light and crisp. The Palo Cortado maturation typifies the sweetness; love hearts and parma violets lead the nose, eventually morphing into Ribena concentrate or even red wine.

Palate: This is all about cherries in various forms. Initially, there’s flat cherry coke which leads to maraschino cherries. There’s a clear indication of the old ‘hot lips’ sweets, red liquorice and hard-boiled sweets.

Finish: A subtle warmth is generated, laced with black pepper and some nutmeg. Whilst medium in length, it’s enough to go back for another sip….

Score: 6.5/10

Dunville’s 20-Year-Old Oloroso Sherry Cask finish Cask No. 162

Price: Sold out, but fetches upwards of £200 at auction…

ABV: 54%

Nose: Wine gums, strawberry laces, fruit loaf, mixed peel, candied orange peel, some red liquorice, a little bit cakey, almost jam like with marzipan. Lots of fruit coming through too, stewed apples, drizzled in cinnamon sugar. A little toasted wood as well. Boozy raisins and sultanas. Flat coke

Palate: Texture is mouth-watering, so coating, Terry’s chocolate orange, chocolate ginger snaps, and ground pepper. Boiled sweets, and some honey as well. Cherry tangastics.

Finish: Initially it’s full-on Jamaica cake, then lots of gradual heat, and a little more cinnamon, but it’s quite subdued before delivered another blast of pepper and cloves.

Score: 9/10

Dunville’s 10-year-old PX finish (first edition)

Price: £50 when first released but double now at auction….

ABV: 46%

Nose: It’s beautifully light and zingy on the nose. First, there’s a hint of lime zest and chardonnay, but then completely overshadowed by a helping of marzipan. More fruit comes through exponentially too, with lots of unripened peaches, lemons and sherry-soaked raisins and sultanas. The PX finish is so evident with notes of Christmas cake and pudding.

Palate: The texture is stunning. For the ABV, it’s not bland, nor is it overpowering; the balance sits perfectly. Straight away on the palate, the Christmas cake again comes through, this time with a helping of warmed spiced vanilla custard. There’s a gradual warmth too; some cinnamon powder and nutmeg give it some needed depth throughout the palate. There’s a subtle hint of caramelised bananas and mince pies to really give this a beautiful palate.

Finish: Although the finish is relatively short, it’s creamy and spicy—lots of dark chocolatey notes with a hint of cinnamon spice.

Score: 7/10

Conclusion

Reflecting on my favourite Echlinville releases, the question arises: What can we anticipate from their inaugural spirit? This is indeed a challenging inquiry. While Dunville’s is known as a sourced whiskey, we’ve caught glimpses of what might be in store. Despite the absence of Echlinville spirit in most Dunville’s releases, the brand’s essence, allure, and exquisite presentation are elements I expect to persist.

For their inaugural spirit, I imagine Echlinville will aim for something grand. Perhaps not as avant-garde as the Port Mourant expression, but certainly deserving of a fitting description. I strongly advocate for the re-hiring of Mark Thompson for branding; his creativity is unparalleled, and his craftsmanship would undoubtedly elevate the experience. There are few artisans like him left, and his touch would undoubtedly ensure a memorable debut for Echlinville’s own spirit, nevertheless, expect it to be eye-catching to whomever is entrusted to do the job.

It’s intriguing to consider the three releases thus far that have incorporated elements of Echlinville liquid. The Old Comber 7-year-old port finish, described as a “work in progress,” contains predominantly Echlinville pot still within the blend, with the Echlinville own pot still at approximately five years old during production. The Dunville’s 1808, a blend of grain and two different malts, one of which is peated, features a small proportion of Echlinville pot still, all aged in American oak casks. Most recently, the Two Stacks’ Pillars of Creation included an Echlinville 7-year-old Single Pot Still (Cask 450, filled Aug 16, first-fill ex-bourbon), adding another layer to the evolving narrative of Echlinville’s own spirit.

So what can we glean from these three releases? Well, I’d envisage it’s likely to be a single pot still, of 8-years-old if my maths works out correctly. What is this going to taste like? Well, let’s start with the most recent as this is what it is most likely to taste like. I mean, it’s fairly hard to split three different DNAs of a blend, but what I envisioned to be the Echlinville third was a classic pot still of spice and sweetness, which includes a peppery cinnamon undertone. There’s still some really fresh sweetness like apple skin too to cut through the spice. The Old Comber also showed some peppery characteristics but also introduced a maybe unrefined chilli burn, perhaps an indication of the young age of the spirit at that time. What was common between the two though was the texture, almost chewable with unprecedented levels of viscosity. Lastly, the 1808, the youngest of them all, showcased a very young pot still, but evidently so. Raw pepperiness again, but also showing some lime and zesty notes.

Indeed, while the specifics of Echlinville’s inaugural release remain a mystery, one thing is certain: it’s poised to be a highly complex and exceptional whiskey. The anticipation surrounding it is palpable, and given Echlinville’s track record of consistently impressive releases, expectations are rightfully high.

This inaugural release presents an opportunity for Echlinville to shine and truly showcase what the brand represents: professionalism, a commitment to crafting premium Irish whiskey, and unparalleled skill. Whatever the final product may be, it’s certain to embody the essence of Echlinville and leave a lasting impression on whiskey enthusiasts worldwide.