Introducing our new Club Whiskey: 13yr Old Dunville’s Port Cask Single Malt Irish Whiskey
The Whiskey
This special Single Malt Irish whiskey whiskey began life at Cooley, double distilled for a robust and weighty malt character. After 8 years resting in ex-bourbon barrels where vanilla, honey, and gentle oak built their foundation, it was transferred into a first fill ruby port cask for a further 5 years. At 13 years old, bottled as a Dunville’s Single Cask, it is the very first Dunville’s single malt to be finished in a port cask. The result is a whiskey that shows Cooley’s trademark vibrancy enriched by the elegance of port seasoned oak, matured on the windswept Ards Peninsula.
Appearance
A deep copper with crimson flashes, almost like autumn sunlight through stained glass.
Nose
The bourbon years greet you first with caramel, toasted coconut, and vanilla fudge, before the port cask takes the stage. Think of a bowl of ripe raspberries drizzled with honey, warm blackberry jam, and a dusting of cocoa powder. Hints of polished leather and pipe tobacco linger beneath the fruit.
Taste
Full bodied and bold, the double distillation carries weight. Sweet dark fruits lead the way with blackcurrant jam and poached plums, balanced by the vanilla creaminess of its bourbon past. There is a warming spice in the mid palate, and a nuttiness reminiscent of roasted almonds dipped in dark chocolate. The port influence feels indulgent without overwhelming, like a rich dessert wine paired with crème brûlée.
Finish
Long, warming, and layered. Red berry sweetness fades into oak spice and cocoa dusted espresso beans. A lingering note of candied orange peel leaves the memory of both fruit and oak in perfect tandem.
Wrap-Up
A landmark release for Dunville’s and a whiskey that marries Cooley’s muscular malt character with the opulence of port wine. It is dessert-like without being cloying, a single cask that feels as comfortable after dinner as it does savoured slowly on its own.
