The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey

The Dublin Liberties Tasting Notes

We were lucky enough to try 4 of 5 whiskies currently available from the new Dublin Liberties Distillery.

The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil
(photo credit: Celtic Whisky Shop)

Oak Devil 5 Year Old

46% ABV. This bottle is a blend of 70% grain and 30% malt, matured in American bourbon casks for at least 5 years.

Nose: Light and subtle. There are notes of pear, sweet caramel and a light oak. Some hints of raisins.

Palate: The pear and the caramel of the nose follow through, along with vanilla fudge and a citrus hit of orange peel. There are hints of dried red fruits and a soft peppery spice.

Finish: A grainy finish with a powerful spice hit, with notes of green peppercorns and caraway balanced by the sweetness of cherry cough sweets and a light honey.

Overall: An easy drinker without any over-powering flavours. It would make a good introductory whiskey for your unconverted friends and the flavour profile makes it ideal for whiskey cocktails.

Copper Alley 10 Year Old

The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley
(photo credit: Celtic Whisky Shop)

46 % ABV. Single malt, matured in American bourbon casks for 10 years and finished for 6 months in Olorosso sherry casks.

Price: €60 (Celtic Whiskey Shop)

Nose: Tangy and malty. An immediate hit of over-ripe red apples as well as red and white grapes, sandalwood and some nutty tones.

Palate: Quite a sweet palate with red apples, marzipan, walnuts and fruit & nut chocolate.

Finish: A savoury finish, wheat biscuits and a little spice with a citrusy sharpness that lasts.

Overall: The nose did not do justice to the taste of this dram, which got better with time. There is an enjoyable contrast between the sweetness of the palate and savoury finish.

The Dublin Liberties Murder Lane
(photo credit: Celtic Whisky Shop)

Murder Lane 13 Year Old

46% ABV. Triple distilled 13 year old single malt, aged in American bourbon casks and finished for 6 months in Hungarian Oak casks that previously held Tokaj (a dessert wine).

Price: €160 (Celtic Whiskey Shop)

Nose: Subtle and soft. Vanilla pods and creamy fudge alongside fruity and floral notes of plums and orange blossom.

Palate: Bakewell tarts and buttery pastry, stewed red fruits, particularly plums, and some tropical citrus, possibly grapefruit.

Finish: Red apples, brown sugar and vanilla. Hints of creamy coffee and a light citrusy spice.

Overall: A dessert whiskey . The wine cask is an interesting experiment that has paid off in the flavour profile of this bottling.

Keeper’s Coin 16 Year Old

The Dublin Liberties Keeper’s Coin
(photo credit: Celtic Whisky Shop)

46% ABV. Triple distilled and matured in American bourbon casks for 16 years, and finished in Pedro Ximanez hogsheads for 6-7 months.

Price: €320 (Celtic Whiskey Shop)

Nose: Honey, vanilla fudge, burnt sugar and cream soda along with light red fruits, orange and pomegranate juice.

Palate: Dried pears and a light vanilla cream, nutty chocolate brownie, toffee and plenty of soft spices like cloves, fennel and powdered ginger.

Finish: Christmas cake. Prunes, dark chocolate, oaky and the same light spices as the palate.

Overall: A beautifully balanced dram. I was ready to buy a bottle for my collection, until I saw the slightly hefty price tag. This is a limited edition with only 300 bottles in circulation.

About The Dublin Liberties Distillery

In February 2019, The Dublin Liberties Distillery opened the doors to a new €10m site and visitor experience, making it the third whiskey distillery in the Irish capital. The distillery is inside a 400 year old building and features three copper pot stills for triple-distillation and a spring water source on site. Owned by Quintessential Brands, the site is now producing whiskey. The initial releases were sourced from an unnamed Irish distillery, selected and independently bottled by Master Distillerr Darryl McNally. There are local legends and stories behind each of whiskey names, which can be found on the Distillery’s official website.

Many thanks to The Dublin Liberties Distillery and Steve Rush @TheWhiskyWire for these Tweet Tasting samples.

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