The Dublin Liberties Distillery has launched Liberties Irish Whiskey, its four, new, aged expressions, to the US market.
Created by Master Distiller Darryl McNally, the four, small batch, aged expressions are inspired by the stories, the streets and the people from the historic quarter of old Dublin. The expressions include Oak Devil, a blended Irish whiskey aged 5 years; the 10-year-old Copper Alley single malt, the 13-year-old Murder Lane single malt and the 16-year-old Keeper’s Coin single malt.
Through their names and illustrations, each whiskey in the 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, McNally and his team are aiming to bring a new perspective to Irish whiskey-making and reinvigorate the high0end of the category.
“Irish whiskey is my passion and to be able to play a part in continuing its growth is a real honor for me,” says Dublin Liberties Master Distiller Darryl McNally. “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, the devil stands watching proudly. The 5-year-old blend of malt & grain whiskey. 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 has been finished in 30-year old Oloroso sherry casks. The Murder Lane 13-year-old Single Malt has been called after an unmarked alleyway known as murdering lane, that connects Bow Street and James Street. Murder Lane is aged thirteen years in American oak and then finished in rare Hungarian oak casks previously seasoned with Tokaj. 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 is aged sixteen years in American oak casks and then finished in Pedro Ximénez 250-liter hogshead casks.
The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey collection range in pricing. The Oak Devil retails for $49.99, Copper Alley 10-year-old Single Malt for $64.99, The Murder Lane 13-year-old Single Malt for $89.99 and The Keeper’s Coin 16-year-old Single Malt for $159.99. Liberties Irish Whiskies can be purchased in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, Michigan, and Minnesota.
