Review #670 - Dunville's 10 Year PX Cask Single Malt
The Echlinville Distillery, based in Northern Ireland, began production in 2013 as one of the first Irish distilleries in the new wave of distilleries that swept the world over the past 15 to 20 years. They began producing gin and vodka while their whisky spirit aged; they also sourced older whiskies from an undisclosed source.
Here's an example of that sourced whisky, a 10 year old single malt under the 'Dunville's' brand that Echlinville revived. Dunville's actually goes back to 1808, originally named as Napier and Dunvill. It operated until the 1930s, when the brand was liquidated; after close to 80 years, this new distillery brought it back as a line of single malts and blends.
Many of these Dunville's releases put emphasis on a specific type of sherry cask finish - this version uses Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The finishing period is actually 3 to 4 years of the 10 year maturation time, so this could have a relatively strong sherry influence.
Dunville's 10 Year PX Cask Single Malt
Ireland - Single Malt
Price: USD 79 (2025)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 8 months; bottles at 20%, 50% (blind tasting), 40%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Juicy stone fruit like peach and some orange, and this is both sweet and tangy up front. Dark fruits build: raspberry, raisin, a bit of musty sherry. There's still some malty spirit showing despite the heavy sherry finish; oak is soft and musty, too. Lots of layers - we also get caramel, molasses, savory thyme, and perfumed orange wine.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; this is quite rich and dark, but tangy at the same time. Sassafras and root beer, licorice, prunes, and chocolate covered raisins are balanced by cranberry, peaches, and soft spirit notes. Oak is soft, and we get a nice oily character, along with a subtle earthy flavor.
Finish: Acidic purple fruit like fig, sweet syrupy fruits like peach ring candies; the spice side builds, bringing licorice, cinnamon, some musty oak. It's a medium length finish which grows softer; the aftertaste carries pecans, raspberry, and a hint of wood smoke.
Final Note: This is a guilty pleasure whisky for us. It carries more complexity than its age and strength would lead you to believe, with a huge bouquet of fruits (both light and dark), sweet baking notes, spicier wood notes, and little hints of savory flavor, too. Really nice whisky, one we're glad to keep around, and we'll pick up another as soon as our current bottle runs out.
Value is also quite good, as this comes at a somewhat reasonable price between $75 and $80 in our area. For that price and this quality, we wouldn't mind picking up a couple.
Our Average Rating: 7.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.42
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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