The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley Review

Paul Needham -

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: Produced by The Dublin Liberties with whiskey sourced from undisclosed distilleries.
  • MASH BILL: Malted barley aged in bourbon barrels and finished in 30 year-old sherry casks.
  • AGE: 10 Years
  • YEAR: 2020
  • PROOF: 92 Proof (46% ABV)
  • MSRP: $65
  • BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

PAUL'S NOTES

NOSE: Molasses | Cream Soda | Vanilla | Cocoa Malt | Leather

TASTE: Fresh and Floral | Walnuts | Stone Fruit | Oak

FINISH: Sweet and Short | The Drying Affect of Honey-Roasted Walnuts

SHARE WITH: Virtually anyone should find something to like here. Certainly someone who sips their Irish whiskey instead of adding sprite or ginger beer to it, will love this.

WORTH THE PRICE: For me it is.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. Really good, sipping Irish whiskies aren't cheap. I think this is fairly priced and offers something a bit different than Redbreast or Green Spot which would be its closest competitors.

OVERALL: You may have read my review of the 5-year offering from The Dublin Liberties, Oak Devil, and seen that I did not recommend it very highly (mostly as a result of it being overpriced for what it is). I don't believe that to be the case here with Copper Alley. It has many of the stereotypical notes of a pot-stilled Irish Whiskey while also bringing some new things to the table as a result of its sherry-cask finish. Most notably, those sherry casks bring some interesting wine notes to both the palate and the dry finish, which I quite enjoyed.

Given that it's price point is on par with some of the other classic entry-level sipping whiskies I mentioned above, I would recommend picking up a bottle if you're in the parts of the country where this is currently available. If you're lucky enough to do so, enjoy and remember to #drinkcurious!

BRAND NOTES

This 10-year-old single malt is abounding with sweet aromas of delicate honey & powdered sugar with floral notes of apple blossom & red fruits. The whiskey has been finished in 30 year old sherry casks – these huge european oak casks imbue deep fruit notes of baked plums, ripe red grapes & give the liquid its deep amber hue. The flavour is rounded out by gorgeous notes of oak & golden syrup before a long lingering finish of rich, dark chocolate. Try this straight up, with just a drop of water to release its aromas.

NOSE: Delicate honey & powdered sugar sweetness give way to ta floral note of apple blossom & red fruits.

PALATE: Deep fruity notes of baked plums & red grapes are imparted by olorosso sherry casks, giving gorgeous oak notes rounded by golden syrup sweetness.

FINISH: A lingering finish full of rich dark chocolate.

THE DUBLIN LIBERTIES SETS SIGHTS HIGH WITH NEW 100% SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY PRESTIGE EXPRESSIONS

With Foremost Single Malt Irish Whiskey Maker at the Helm and Dublin's The Liberties Rich History as its Inspiration

NEW YORK, NY (October 27, 2020) Hot on the heels of its distillery launch last year, the team behindThe Dublin Liberties Distilleryis finally launching its four, new, aged expressions to the US market with one blended Irish whiskey aged 5-years called Oak Devil, and 3 others, all single malt Irish Whiskies, which  include The 10 year-old Copper Alley, the 13 year-old Murder Lane and the 16 year-old Keeper’s Coin.Created by renowned Master Distiller, Darryl McNally— considered the Rockstar of Irish Single Malts — the four, small batch, aged expressions are inspired by the stories, the streets and the people from the historic quarter of old Dublin where distilleries, weaving mills, forges, printing-presses, tanneries, illicit taverns, and dens of ill repute were abound. An area known for centuries as Hell, this wild and wayward quarter of old Dublin was notorious for mayhem and riotous behavior with danger and intrigue waiting around every cobbled corner.

The award-winning, luxury range —Liberties Irish Whiskey— celebrates aged single malt, offering rare, aged liquid with unique cask finishes. It features small batch, higher quality ingredients, which result in a sensorial range, brimming with sophistication and substance. Not only is single malt the oldest, most traditional way of making whiskey in Ireland — although mash bills over the years have become more widespread — it epitomizes Irish Whiskey, because after all, it was the Irish who taught the rest of the world how to make great whiskies. Resurrecting this tradition was important to McNally not only for its historical significance, but because using malted barley, which is of the utmost quality, results in a better more flavorful final product.

Through their evocative names and intricate illustrations, each whiskey in the Dublin Liberties series tells a legendary story from the Liberties colorful history in the 17th and 18th Century, where the distillery is located. With the new range, Master Distiller Darryl McNally and his team at the Dublin Liberties Distillery are aiming to bring a fresh, new perspective to Irish whiskey-making and reinvigorate the high end of the category, as McNally explains:

“Irish whiskey is my passion and to be able to play a part in continuing its growth is a real honor for me. I see innovation in the super premium plus segment as key to continuing the impressive growth Irish whiskey has seen in recent years, so with The Dublin Liberties, we’re embracing an experimental approach with unique finishes for our aged malts unlike anything else on the market. We’re incredibly proud of the new expressions we’ve created!”

In Dublin, The Liberties became known as hell. To enter hell, you needed to walk under an archway where a carved oak devil stood, and this is where the brand’s tale begins:

  • On the label of the youngest expression named Oak Devil (SRP $44.99 - $49.99), the devil stands watching proudly over the first of The Liberties Irish Whiskeys.  The 5-year-old blend of malt & grain whiskey is liquid gold. Full of aromas of baked apples, fresh hay & warm brown sugar, give way to flavors of toffee apples, cider & caramel before a finish full of gentle nutmeg, cinnamon & lingering sweetness, imparted by years in the highest quality American oak casks.
  • Now lost to the ages, Copper Alley was the oldest street in Dublin, named after the coin that was first minted there in the 17th century. The label is inspired by the color of those minted coins and their Celtic Irish origins. The Copper Alley 10-year-old Single Malt (SRP $59.99-$64.99) abounds with sweet aromas of delicate honey & powdered sugar with floral notes of apple blossom & red fruits. The whiskey has been finished in 30-year old Oloroso sherry casks which imbue deep fruit notes of baked plums, ripe red grapes & give the liquid its deep amber hue.
  • The Murder lane 13-year-old Single Malt (SRP $89.99) has been called after an unmarked alleyway known as murdering lane, that connects Bow Street and James Street. There is evidence and lore to show that in the early 1600’s many men, women and children met a very unfortunate end on that lane. Murder Lane brims with sweet aromas of almonds, marzipan & vanilla imparted by thirteen years in American oak. The whiskey is then finished in rare Hungarian oak casks previously seasoned with Tokaj, imbuing rich flavors of ripe apricot flesh, white peach, and a hint of coconut. The finish adds a gentle spice to the experience.
  • In the 1600’s, under Christchurch Cathedral, there were a series of crypts that were used as illicit drinking dens. The cellar keepers each had their own coins and casks — which is where the name keeper’s coin is derived from. Excavations under the Cathedral unearthed a purse full of silver coins and several leather bottles still containing alcohol.  The Keeper’s Coin 16-year-old Single Malt (SRP $159.99) is full of aromas of soft toffee, fudge, toasted hazelnuts, and baked banana with sea salt caramel. On the palate, poached pear and big fruity notes of dried apricots dominate. Sixteen years in American oak casks bestow a substantial wood influence giving a salted butter mouthfeel. The dark, auburn hue is imparted by Pedro Ximénez 250-liter hogshead casks in which the whiskey finally rests. The finish is smooth and rounded with honeyed sweetness.

The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey collection is the culmination of inspiration of over 400 years of Irish history and distillation excellence, a true testament to The Distillery’s unwavering commitment to produce only the finest and most special Irish Whiskey in the world, making it the perfect choice for today’s Irish whiskey connoisseur. Liberties Irish Whiskies can be purchased at select and high-end liquor retailers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Disclaimer: The Dublin Liberties Distillery provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.