Dunville’s Palo Cortado 10yo
Irish Single Malt Whiskey | 46% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Frustratingly pricey and sourced, but when it’s good - it’s good
A Missed Opportunity
Many whiskey brands that we know and love today have a rich history and origin story that embody the spirit of the brand and distillery location.
When visiting certain towns and cities in Scotland, or Kentucky and Tennessee in the U.S.A, there are plenty of opportunities to plan excursions and tours in which the focal point is purely whiskey. From old distillery sites that still have life and on-going whiskey craft to this day, to new bespoke excursions at the likes of the Johnny Walker experience in Edinburgh, whiskey tourism is embraced by these locations and enjoyed by whiskey drinkers and not-yet-whiskey-drinkers alike.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be distilleries either. Locally run bars add to the whiskey tourism bucket lists and embrace the rich history that's abundant in their respective areas. On recent trips to Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh over the past year or so I’ve found there's no shortage of venues and destinations from which you can select many fabulous whiskies. Distillery tours, whiskey walks, whiskey bars, the cities themselves, have something about them when it comes to a more whiskey inclined tourist. As a history buff, I love nothing more than immersing myself in these tales of old when it comes to a new city to visit.
You’ll find me referring to my own hometown of Belfast as a ‘part-time city’. Folk tell me Belfast is how ‘mainland Britain’ cities were ten to fifteen years ago, and we seem to be only catching up when it comes to infrastructure, nightlife, arts and festivals as well as a popular tourist spot. Only these past couple years have I witnessed a bit more when it comes to visiting our Capital. When it comes to the city's rich whiskey history it’s easy to see how a story could be told around it to entertain curious whiskey tourists.
I know our Dougie graced these parts back in 2022 and looking back there wasn’t much in the form of a distillery or whiskey tour for him to partake in. Which is a shame. The famous docks area of Belfast also plays host to many cruise ships throughout the year. Maybe we’re missing something?
The biggest pull of Northern Irish whiskey is Bushmills and, despite being a globally recognisable brand, there isn't a single presence of anything 'Bushmills' related in our city whatsoever. You’d have to make the one hour and a bit journey to the country’s North Coast to visit the distillery itself. Our city is ripe and ready for a Johnny Walker-type attraction right in the heart of things. The famous bars here play host to many Irish whiskies for sale, but they still face a problem I’ve spoken of before (not a lot of difference between the brands and the liquid inside) but there’s space for things to improve there in future.
This city today has much more to offer and, thankfully, it’s getting better. At the moment you can visit the new McConnell's distillery based in the old Crumlin Road Jail; an area steeped in fascinating history. While also exploring the famous shipyard that built that big yoke the Titanic, at the Titanic Distillery no less - which again, housed in the old pumphouse, is a beautiful spot for whiskey-making. Both McConnell's and Titanic have that nod to the past in the city's history. Titanic for shipbuilding and McConnell's for Belfast’s illustrious distilling past - a part in which today's whiskey review touched on another brand that has its roots deep in the heart of the city. It's great to see a revival of such old, prominent whiskey names being used for Belfast-based liquids.
Dunville's is another key player here, marrying historic elements with whiskey-making. The name and brand revival is down to Echlinville Distillery based in Kircubbin, County Down. They acquired the Dunville’s trademark in 2012 and have been distilling since 2013, making them the first new distillery to make whiskey in Northern Ireland for over 125 years. At its height it was one of the most famous whiskies in the world, with Ireland supplying a lot of the global demand for whiskey until prohibition hit in the 1920s. The scale of the more modern Dunville's isn’t close to the same levels; instead their focus now is on a craft scale - sourcing spirit with the focal point of the brand being 100% single malt Irish whiskies.
The name 'Dunville’s' is deeply linked with Belfast’s whiskey heritage, being the founder of the Royal Irish Distilleries group, with production situated on the Grosvenor Road, Belfast. In order to ensure distillery workers had access to leisure facilities, Dunville’s founded their Distillery Football Club in 1880 (renamed Lisburn Distillery in 1999 after the location of its present home ground) and provided the club with its first football ground.
Also, on the corner of the Falls Road and Grosvenor Road, near the distillery site, sits Dunville Park which is still there to this day. Dunville Park was a gift to the City of Belfast in 1891 and became Belfast's first public park. Within the park still resides the beautiful Dunville Fountain. Today Dunville Park, Dunville Street in Belfast, Distillery Street in Belfast and Distillery Football Club remain a lasting legacy to the generosity of the Dunville family and the ties the city once had to whiskey-making.
But curiously, this isn't widely known. Visitors to Belfast can take in various sites and events ranging from the Titanic Museum to the Black Taxi tours that delve into the troubled past of the city. If they wish, they can visit distillery locations, but there's not much else showcasing Belfast and the rich whiskey-making past we have here. It’s a missed opportunity.
To me, reviving older brands that have died can only be a good thing. It unearths a history and a story of what once was, while moving in a new exciting direction. I think everyone could learn something new from this, or perhaps it could help kick-start a yearning to look into more whiskey history, from wherever it hails.
Review
Dunville’s 10yo, Palo Cortado Cask Finish, Echlinville Distillery Co., 46% ABV
£50 paid, £70 typical, possibly still available at time of writing
Believe it or not, I picked this bottle up on the Bezos marketplace for around the £50 mark. I was told that the 10 year old stood up to what other single malt offerings there are from Dunville. There are some spectacular Dunville bottles available, albeit they are very expensive.
This release is sourced whiskey, and that might annoy some; I have my own well-documented frustrations. But in this case, their management of the liquid - adding in various cask finishes such as Palo Cortado, Oloroso sherry and Port Mourant Guyana rum casks to name but a few, amplify things to a different level.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Frustratingly pricey and sourced, but when it’s good - it’s good
Nose
Pineapple and passion fruit. Strawberries. Orange rind. Lemon curd. A hint of cherry in there too. Dates and golden syrup. Tinned peaches. White grapes and elderflower.
Vanilla cream. It’s quite punchy on the nose, inviting me back for more. Hint of plums. A little nutmeg, mushed blueberries and a sweet dessert wine. Wood spice, musty and licks of brown sugar.
Palate
Spiced. Fruity. Citrus zest and rather silky mouthfeel initially. Bright and bold on the first sip. Bags of fruit in this one. That orange from the nose comes through with honey. Light malt hint here and a nice biscuit element that mixes nicely with soft caramel.
The fruit transforms into blackcurrant jam. Such a nice long finish. The fruit and zest last forever. Develops into plums and peaches. A touch astringent. Wonderfully weighted and great mouthfeel. Last note of lemon zest as it fades off at the end.
The Dregs
For the price, it’s a great pick up and a delicious showcase of doing things differently with sourced liquid and a great cask finish. Not much of a Palo influence here if I’m completely honest. It amplifies the liquid and rounds it off quite well, compared to a citrus, biscuit and floral blast you’d normally receive with a Cooley sourced whiskey.
This whiskey has another dimension to what simple flavours and textures Single Malt Irish whiskey brings at a larger scale. It’s your Cooley liquid and then some. Well put together and somewhat of a simple sipper too. You can have this with company and not need to focus on what’s in the glass. But if you want to pay more attention and get to know it more, there’s complexity and character to dive into. Although saying that, it’s a level above what Irish offerings there are out there today. A truly delicious whiskey.
It seems like this is still available from what I can see on the Echlinville website, but sold out on other whiskey online retailers. It’s more expensive than what I paid, however, looking more like £70. Maybe a little steep for what it is, but fairly typical of Irish whiskey. I’m lucky to have got it which I thought was reasonable and good value. Seems to also be part of their core range and should be available for a long while yet, which is promising. Be careful though, while Dunville’s have excellent Single Malt whiskey, the price point is eye-watering at times.
It’s great to see a once-stellar name in Irish whiskey production being revived; to not be lost to time or remain only in the history books. A name and brand to potentially bring more to Belfast and to the Irish whiskey scene that isn’t all make-believe, leprechauns and unicorns.
Yet another positive example of what Irish whiskey can bring, although I remain hopeful we can see change in the pricing structure soon, perhaps influenced by what other distilleries - with their own liquid - are bringing, we wait and live in hope. Still, this is a good one.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
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