Big, chewy, and matured in overaged PX & Palo Cortado Sherry casks, this limited edition from Dunville’s uses the very casks that scored them World’s Best Irish Single Malt three years running.
To let you in on a little secret behind the trophies… this whiskey is dripping with cask richness from one part 18YO, one part 14YO, and two parts 13YO.
Channelling the likes of GlenDronach Single Casks, Dalmore’s 1990s-era cigar malt and Redbreast’s richest casks, the only reason this heritage label from Northern Ireland isn’t behind the bar of every Irish pub already is because these folks make hardly any whiskey. At least, that’s the case for now.
Shane Braniff, proud custodian of Dunville’s Irish whiskey, has big plans for the distillery: “When we revived Dunville’s, we did so with a promise to restore the spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the premier whiskeys of the world”.
Born in 1808, buried in 1936, and gloriously resurrected in 2012 – Dunville’s Irish Whiskey is the ultimate comeback story. This isn’t just another whiskey; it’s a legacy reborn, a Belfast icon returned to its rightful place among the world’s best.
For over a century, Dunville’s was the toast of Ireland, a household name, a whiskey of kings. At least until tragedy struck, and the dynasty crumbled. For nearly 80 years, the only way to get your hands on a bottle was at auction, and even that was like striking gold.
But legends don’t stay buried forever. Enter The Echlinville Distillery, Dunville’s new custodians, hell-bent on restoring The Spirit of Belfast. Mission accomplished. Today, Dunville’s is once again winning awards and turning heads, proving that its best days aren’t behind it – they’re just getting started.
Picture this: 1808, a fresh announcement in the Belfast Commercial Chronicle – William Napier and John Dunvill are setting up a wine and spirits shop at No. 13 Bank Street, known as Napier and Dunvill. The name became synonymous with top-tier Irish whiskey and in 1825 Dunvill bought Napier out, and changed the business name to Dunville & Co.
Having passed through chairmanship of five generations of the Dunville family by the late 1800s, Dunville & Co. wasn’t just thriving, it was dominating. At its peak, their Royal Irish Distilleries pumped out around 11.5 million litres of liquid gold annually, a sizeable chunk of all of Ireland's distilleries combined total of 63.5 million litres per year. Boasting a cutting-edge setup with four massive malting floors, 16 washbacks, five huge pot stills, a Coffey still and its own railway siding. It wasn’t just a distillery; it was a whiskey empire.
Dunville’s didn’t just make whiskey; they shaped a city. Their philanthropy built much-needed housing, founded the Distillery Football Club in 1880, and even donated land and serious cash to create Dunville Park – home to the iconic Dunville Fountain, which still stands today.
Then came 1931. The fifth chairman, Robert Lambart Dunville, died suddenly at just 38. His brother, Victoria Cross recipient Lt. John Spencer Dunville had already given his life in the Great War, and the only remaining heir, William, was in Australia. With no one left to take the helm, the company spiraled. By 1936, distilling had stopped, the business was liquidated, and before long the once-mighty Royal Irish Distilleries were reduced to rubble. The Spirit of Belfast was gone.
Fast forward nearly eight decades. Enter The Echlinville Distillery. Pioneers, risk-takers, and whiskey lovers on a mission. As Ireland’s first new licensed distillery in over 125 years, they did so in style, bringing the Dunville’s name back to life.
Today, Dunville’s award-winning single malts are once again setting the gold standard for Irish whiskey, winning the coveted Whiskey of the Year title at the Irish Whiskey Awards when the 21 year old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Whiskey was named Ireland’s best whiskey.
The Spirit of Belfast has returned. And this time, it’s here to stay.
