The Echlinville Distillery is celebrating another successful sweep at the World Drinks Awards with 11 wins across three competitions.
Our whiskeys picked up a total of eight World Whiskies Awards, including five ‘Ireland’s Best’ Category Wins and three Silver Medals. There also ‘Ireland’s Best’ titles for Weavers Spirits in the World Gin Awards and World Vodka Awards.
The latest wins bring Echlinville’s total awards haul to 113 global accolades since our distillery was founded in 2013, and further cements our place at the forefront of Ireland’s spirits renaissance.
The full list of winners includes:
World Whiskies Awards
Old Comber Irish Whiskey – Ireland’ Best Blended Whiskey (No Age Statement)
Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt – Ireland’s Best Single Malt 12 Years & Under – 10 Year Old PX Cask
Dunville’s 20 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish – Ireland’s Best Single Malt 13-20 Years
Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Cask Strength – Ireland’s Best Small Batch Single Malt 12 Years & Under
Dunville’s PX 22 Year Old Cask Strength – Ireland’s Best Single Cask 21 Years & Over
Dunville’s 1808 – Silver Medal
Dunville’s PX 22 Year Old Single Malt – Silver Medal
Dunville’s 1808 Dick Mack’s East To West Honey & Hemp IPA Finish – Silver Medal
World Gin Awards
Weavers Gin – Ireland’s Best Classic Gin
Echlinville Gin – Silver Medal
World Vodka Awards
Weavers Vodka – Ireland’s Best Varietal Vodka
All of our ‘Ireland’s Best’ Category Winners will now go through to the global final at the World Drinks Awards, competing against other country winners for the title of World’s Best whiskey, gin or vodka.
Dunville’s Irish Whiskey has won two major accolades at the World Whiskies Awards in London, picking up the titles of Ireland’s Best Single Malt and Ireland’s Best Single Cask Whiskey.
Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt 46% abv was named Ireland’s Best Single Malt while
Dunville’s also won Ireland’s Best Single Cask Whiskey with PX 20 Year Old Cask Strength, Cask 1644.
The titles are the latest in a string of high-profile awards for Dunville’s, which is crafted at The Echlinville Distillery near Kircubbin, Co. Down. Dunville’s was also named Ireland’s Best Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Awards late last year.
Shane Braniff, Managing Director of The Echlinville Distillery, home of Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, said:
“We are delighted to have been named Ireland’s Best in two categories at the World Whiskies Awards, further confirming Dunville’s place within the top tier of whiskeys in Ireland, if not the world. To bring these awards home to our independent, family run distillery is another huge achievement for our hard working team and industry partners.
“Ireland’s whiskey renaissance is seeing new distilleries and whiskey bonders compete among the top flight of global whiskey brands. We are immensely proud that Dunville’s is leading the way, out performing some of the industry’s biggest names to be named Ireland’s Best.”
Established in the city of Belfast in 1808 and originally produced at the Royal Irish Distilleries, Dunville’s was among the world’s most famous whiskeys until its untimely demise in 1936, when the distillery closed its doors and The Spirit of Belfast was feared lost forever.
The brand was revived by The Echlinville Distillery in 2012 with the aim of restoring it to its former glory. An aim that has been realised in the past few months with Echlinville now officially the home of Ireland’s Best Single Malt, Ireland’s Best Single Cask and also Ireland’s Best Whiskey, a title awarded at the Irish Whiskey Awards last November.
Jarlath Watson of Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, said:
“We added Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish to our core range late last year to a great reception from our customers. The quality of the Palo Cortado casks really takes centre stage with this whiskey, boasting notes of stewed fruits, ripe plums, almonds, spiced banana bread, sweet tobacco, tiramisu and candied orange zest. It’s a great whiskey and thoroughly deserving of the title of Ireland’s Best Single Malt.
“Similarly, our PX Cask Strength whiskeys have gained a loyal following for their bold sherry bomb flavours. We are delighted to see Cask 1644 awarded Ireland’s Best Single Cask and we look forward to sharing it with our customers in the near future.
“As proud custodians of the Dunville’s name, we have been on a decade long journey towards restoring The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the world’s best whiskeys. Our exceptional sherry cask finishes have earned a reputation for excellence and, in the last few months alone, have secured three huge awards. That’s a huge achievement for any distillery and is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff. Dunville’s and Belfast are well and truly back on the world whiskey map and that’s something we are all immensely proud of.”
Dunville’s 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Irish Whiskey is available now from The Echlinville Gift Shop https://echlinville.com/shop/ priced £194.95. Also available from Specialist Whiskey Retailers.
Dunville’s Irish Whiskey has announced a release of its highly anticipated 21 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Finish Cask 1197, which was named Ireland’s Best Whiskey at the Irish Whiskey Awards.
Cask 1197 will be available to purchase from 1pm on Friday 24 February online and in store at The Echlinville Distillery priced £275. Purchases will be limited to one bottle per person.
Bottled at cask strength 53.2% abv, Cask 1197 is the latest release from the Dunville’s Single Cask Series, which features limited edition bottlings of the finest casks from Dunville’s warehouses.
Cask 1197 was the Overall Winner at the Irish Whiskey Awards in November 2022, earning it the coveted title of Ireland’s Best Whiskey. The top prize was one of seven accolades for The Spirit of Belfast at the Irish whiskey industry’s most prestigious awards evening.
Dunville’s also won Gold medals for it’s PX 10 Year Old and 20 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Single Malts. All three of Dunville’s Gold medal winning whiskies can now be enjoyed together in an exclusive gift set, which features 50ml miniature bottles of each whiskey alongside a Dunville’s branded Glencairn whiskey glass. The Dunville’s Irish Whiskey Award Winners gift set is available from Echlinville priced £75.
Jarlath Watson from Dunville’s Irish Whiskey said: “We are proud to offer for sale Dunville’s Cask 1197, Ireland’s Whiskey of the Year. While every release from our Single Cask Series is extraordinary, this one is particularly special as it has been judged by our colleagues and friends from within the industry and the wider Irish Whiskey community as being worthy of Irish whiskey’s highest honour.
“The Single Cask Series showcases the best whiskeys from our warehouses, bottled at cask strength for the best possible quality and flavour. We promise our customers exceptional whiskey, without compromise, and Cask 1197 certainly lives up to that ethos.
“Very well structured, waxy and rich. Honeydew melon, tropical fruits in syrup and pear drops give way to caramelised apricots, juicy overripe plums and spiced Chantilly cream. Red apple skins, stewed stone fruits, and old dunnage oak give balance and structure while toasted nuts, warming winter spices and sweet tobacco tantalise then combine for a long, sweet and truly sublime finish”
Jarlath Watson, Dunville’s Irish Whiskey
“We are also delighted to unveil the Dunville’s Irish Whiskey Award Winners gift box. Featuring three of our finest single malt whiskeys with Dunville’s trademark PX, Palo Cortado and Oloroso sherry cask finishes, this beautifully packaged set is the perfect way to enjoy some of the best that The Spirit of Belfast has to offer.”
Established in Belfast in 1808 and originally produced at the Royal Irish Distilleries which stood on the city’s Grosvenor Road, Dunville’s was among the world’s most famous whiskeys until its untimely demise in 1936. The Echlinville Distillery revived the iconic Dunville’s brand ten years ago with the aim of restoring it to its former glory.
The latest prizes come after we picked up a haul of titles at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards, where Dunville’s also secured the coveted overall winner title for Ireland’s Best Whiskey.
Dunville’s Whiskey
Speaking about the awards, Echlinville Distillery owner Shane Braniff said: “We are delighted with the news of thirteen wins at the World Whiskies Awards. The Irish whiskey industry is hugely competitive, and the standard of whiskey being produced gets better every year. To secure three category wins in the highly sought after single malt and single cask categories is a great achievement and testament to the hard work and commitment of our team.
“As proud custodians of the Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand, we have been on a decade long journey towards restoring The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the world’s finest whiskeys. Dunville’s has won significant prizes at the World Whiskies Awards every year since 2015. To win a further twelve accolades is another significant step on that journey, particularly after picking up the title of Ireland’s Best Whiskey at the recent Irish Whiskey Awards.
Old Comber
“We are equally delighted that our Old Comber Whiskey received a bronze medal, placing it among Ireland’s best pot still whiskeys. For Old Comber to take a podium spot alongside the industry’s biggest pot still brands on its debut at the World Whiskies Awards is a huge achievement.
“One of the original Irish whiskey giants, Old Comber was produced just a few miles from Echlinville at the Comber Distilleries which closed in 1953. We revived the brand in 2021 and are honoured to bring Old Comber back to its County Down homeland.
“Old brands like Dunville’s and Old Comber are integral to Ireland’s whiskey heritage. Throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, they build an industry that was the envy of the world. Their revival will play an important role in the resurgence of that industry. As the World Whiskies Awards show, Old Comber and Dunville’s are leading the Irish whiskey renaissance.”
Winning Whiskeys
Our winning entries at the World Whiskies Awards are:
The World Whiskies Award select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. They are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts. Dunville’s three Category Winner whiskeys will now go on to compete for the ‘World’s Best’ title in their respective categories, the winners of which will be announced in London on 30th March.
Dunville’s Irish Whiskey has picked up two accolades at this year’s Irish Whiskey Awards.
Dunville’s 12 Year Old PX Cask Strength Irish Whiskey was named Best Cask Strength Whiskey while our 18 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish won Gold in the Single Cask category and came a very close second place in the competition for overall Best Irish Whiskey award.
The awards are the latest in a series of accolades for Dunville’s, which has seen The Spirit of Belfast gather 31 international prizes since the historic Belfast whiskey brand was revived by The Echlinville Distillery in 2012.
The Irish Whiskey Awards awards are particularly special as they are judged by members of whiskey clubs and societies the length and breadth of Ireland, so it is an honour to be recognised by our friends and colleagues within the Irish whiskey family.
Both award winning whiskeys are from the Dunville’s Single Cask Series. The Single Cask Series features limited edition single cask bottlings showcasing the very best whiskeys from the Dunville’s warehouses. With each cask carefully selected, the series features exceptional Irish whiskey, uncompromised and bottled at its optimum strength for the best possible quality and flavour.
If you have ever seen this beautiful blue bottle, this news may not come as a surprise. We might be biased, but we do think it is one of the most beautiful gin bottles out there. It seems the people at the UK Packaging Awards agree.
With the gin market booming, there is an ever-increasing number of gins competing for space and attention on back bars and retailers’ shelves. When it comes to attracting potential customers, the design of the bottle can be just as important as the liquid inside. But when you browse the gin offerings in your favourite cocktail bar or local off sales, have you ever wondered about the story behind the bottle?
The story behind the bottle
Weavers Gin is inspired by the linen industry in Ulster and Ireland as a whole. For more than three centuries, linen was Ireland’s most important industry. Belfast, in particular, was a huge centre for linen production. In fact, it was Belfast’s biggest industry – bigger than ship building or whiskey.
From the botanicals used in distillation, to the bespoke glass design and the label on the bottle, Weavers Gin is a celebration of that proud linen heritage.
Irish linen
Irish linen was famous around the world. It adorned the tables of royalty, graced the dressing rooms of the rich and famous. It even coated the wings of the first airplanes or ‘bi-planes’ and helped some of the first aviators take to the skies, including the Royal Flying Corps in World War One.
Linen production was spread across the whole country, from the cities to the most rural parts of Ireland. While the towns were home to scores of linen mills and factories, the countryside would have been filled with flax fields growing the raw materials for the industry. Bleaching greens were also a common sight, where huge sheets of newly woven linen were laid out in the fields to lighten dry in the summer sun.
Weavers Irish Gin is crafted in honour of the thousands of men and women who laboured in the linen mills and toiled in the flax fields to make Irish linen the envy of the world. Infused with Irish flax seeds for extra smoothness, Weavers Gin is as crisp, cool and clean as the linen it is inspired by.
Bottle colour
This isn’t just another blue gin bottle. The Weavers bottle is flax flower blue. Flax is the raw material for the linen industry. Back in Ireland’s linen heyday, the countryside would have been blue with the colour of the flax flowers blooming in the fields. That pure, gentle blue is captured beautifully in the blue hue of the glass used to make the Weavers Gin bottle.
Bottle design
The first thing you may notice when you pick up a bottle of Weavers Gin (apart from how beautiful it is), is that it is quite heavy. This immediately gives the impression of a premium, quality product. We wanted the bottle to look and feel strong. The size, shape and weight of the bottle reflect the strength and stature of the linen industry, which was once the biggest industry in Ulster – bigger than ship building or whiskey, for which Ulster and Belfast are perhaps most famous.
The bespoke bottle design incorporates a few nods to Ireland’s linen industry. In particular, the vertical lines that decorate the Weavers Gin bottle are reminiscent of the rows of flax plants that would have grown in fields up and down the country. Flax is a ‘row crop’, planted in straight lines, and so we have incorporated this into the bottle design.
The words ‘Excellence Instilled’ can be found at the bottom of the Weavers Gin bottle. It is a trademark of The Echlinville Distillery and reflects our ethos of pursuing excellence at every stage of the production process, from field to glass.
The label
The colours in the label are primarily blue, to reflect the flax flowers and linen production’s agricultural roots, and silver to reflect the industrial element of linen production and the technology used in the mills and factories around Ireland. Indeed, at the top of the label we have placed a blue flax flower within the silver cogs of industry.
The Weavers Gin label is beautifully intricate to reflect the craftsmanship and craftswomanship involved in fine linen production. The decorative swirls on the outer four corners of the label is a reproduction of the damask design on the linen tablecloths on the Titanic.
So that is the story of Weavers Gin. The stunning liquid and beautiful bottle – both as crisp, cool and clean as the linen they are inspired by.
We at The Echlinville Distillery are custodians of the iconic Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand, which picked up two category wins and one bronze medal at the esteemed awards.
Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old won it’s third consecutive World Whiskies Award, picking up the title of Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under. Its cask strength cousin, Dunville’s PX 12 Cask Strength, was named Best Irish Single Cask Single Malt Aged 12 Years and Under, while the 18 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Finish won Bronze in the Irish Single Cask Single Malt Aged 13-20 category.
World’s best whiskeys
This is the latest in a series of accolades for Dunville’s, which has scooped major category wins at the World Whiskies Awards every year since 2015, further cementing Dunville’s place among the best whiskies of the world.
The World Whiskies Award select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. They are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts.
Echlinville are custodians of the iconic Dunville’s Irish Whiskey brand, which swept the board at the esteemed awards with two top category wins, two gold medals and one bronze medal.
Dunville’s 18 Year Old Palo Cortado Sherry Cask Finish Whiskey, which is due to be released in the coming weeks, secured the coveted title of Best Irish Single Malt Aged Aged 13-20 Years – one of the competition’s most hotly contested categories. Another upcoming release, Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Whiskey, won Best Irish Single Cask Single Malt 12 Years and Under.
Gold Medals went to Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Single Malt (46% abv) in the Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under category and to Dunville’s VR 18 Year Old Port Mourant Rum Finish in the Single Cask Single Malt Aged 13-20 group. Dunville’s Three Crowns was awarded a Bronze medal in the Irish Blends category.
This is the latest in a series of accolades for Dunville’s , which has scooped major category wins at the World Whiskies Awards every year since 2015. This week’s wins bring to 21 the brand’s total number of international prizes and further cements Dunville’s place among the best whiskies of the world.
Dunville’s brand ambassador Jarlath Watson from The Echlinville Distillery said: “We are delighted with the news of five major wins at this year’s World Whiskies Awards. In an industry that has long been dominated by big multi-nationals, we are proud that our small team at Echlinville Distillery is making such an impact on the world stage. We continue to punch well above our weight and these awards are yet another tribute to the hard work and dedication of all our staff”
“At Echlinville, we don’t produce huge volumes of whiskey but we are dedicated to our craft. We strive for perfection in all our small batch releases. We will not compromise in our desire to produce the finest whiskey conceivable. It is an approach that is proving very successful for us and we are our honoured that the quality of our spirits has been recognised yet again at the World Whiskies Awards.
“These awards are an excellent start to what promises to be a great year for Dunville’s. We are looking forward to a number of new releases in the coming weeks, including the Cask Strength expression of our iconic PX 12 Year Old Single Malt and an exceptional 18 Year Old Single Malt with a Palo Cortado Sherry Cask finish. Both of these whiskies were extremely well received at a recent tasting with the Irish Whiskey Society and have now won their respective categories at the World Whiskies Awards.”
Speaking about the history of the Dunville’s brand, Jarlath continued: “Established in 1808 and originally produced at the Royal Irish Distilleries in Belfast, Dunville’s was among the world’s most famous whiskeys until its untimely demise in 1936. We revived the iconic Dunville’s brand in 2012 and as it’s proud custodians we have been doing everything we can to restore The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the world’s best whiskies.”
The World Whiskies Award select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. They are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts. Dunville’s winning whiskies will now go on to compete in the Best Irish Single Malt and Best Irish Blended Whiskey categories, the winners of which will be announced on 26th March.
The Echlinville Distillery is celebrating an impressive triple win at the Irish Whiskey Awards, which honour the best in Irish whiskey and artisan spirits.
These latest accolades bring to 30 the total number of global awards won by the distillery since it was established in 2013.
Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey was named Best Irish Single Malt Aged 12 Years and Under. Finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry butts, this is the latest major award for Dunville’s PX 12, which was also named Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under at this year’s World Whiskies Awards.
Its younger sibling – Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt – won the same category at the 2017 Irish Whiskey Awards, meaning Echlinville have secured the title twice in three years with two different whiskeys.
Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin also won its second consecutive Gold Medal in the Irish Gin category, with Bán Poitín also picking up Gold.
Echlinville’s Jarlath Watson said: “We are delighted with the news of three wins at this year’s Irish Whiskey Awards. These awards are particularly special to us as they are judged by members of whiskey clubs and societies the length and breadth of Ireland, so it is an honour to be recognised by our friends and colleagues within the Irish whiskey family.
“At Echlinville, we don’t produce huge volumes of spirit but we are dedicated to our craft. Our ethos is to do it small but do it well. It is an approach that is proving very successful for us and we are our delighted that the quality of our spirits has been recognised yet again at the Irish Whiskey Awards.
“We now have 30 major awards under our belt – that’s quite an achievement in the six years since the first spirit trickled from our stills. We are exceptionally proud that our small, independent, family owned distillery is making an impact in an increasingly competitive industry.
“This has been an incredible year for us, most recently with the launch of our much anticipated Dunville’s VR 18 Year Old Port Mourant Rum Finish Whiskey and significant wins at the World Whiskies Awards and World Gin Awards earlier in the year. With a number of new releases due in the coming months, we very much hope that our success will continue in to 2020.”
The Echlinville Distillery is celebrating an impressive triple win at the World Whiskies Awards – the latest in a series of international accolades for its Dunville’s Irish Whiskey.
Echlinville has swept the board at the prestigious awards with its Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Whiskey winning Best Irish Single Malt Aged 12 Years and Under. Dunville’s VR 18 Year Old Port Mourant Rum Finish Whiskey has been named Best Irish Single Malt Aged 13-20 Years, and Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Whiskey was judged Best Irish Blended Whiskey Aged 12 Years and Under – one of the competition’s most hotly contested categories.
This is the latest in a series of accolades for Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, which has scooped category wins at the World Whiskies Awards every year since 2015. This week’s triple win brings to 15 the brand’s total number of international prizes and further cements Dunville’s place among the best whiskies of the world.
Echlinville owner Shane Braniff said: “We are delighted with the news of three major wins at this year’s World Whiskies Awards. In an industry that has long been dominated by big multi-nationals, we are proud that our independent family-owned distillery is making an impact on the world stage.
“At Echlinville, we don’t produce huge volumes of whiskey but we are dedicated to our craft. Our ethos is to do it small but do it well. We will not compromise in our desire to produce the finest whiskey conceivable. It is an approach that is proving very successful for us and we are our honoured that the quality of our spirits has been recognised yet again at the World Whiskies Awards.”
“To bring home three World Whiskies Awards is a huge achievement for us and is testament to the hard work and commitment of the team here at Echlinville. It is an excellent start to what promises to be a great year for us. We are looking forward to a number of new releases in the coming months, including our multi-award winning 18 Year Old Port Mourant Rum Finish Whiskey, which has now picked up its third major award.
“We are also working on an exciting new addition to the Dunville’s family – one that will be an important nod to an often forgotten chapter of the brands rich history, and will also mark the opening of a new and innovative chapter in the Dunville’s story. We are looking forward to revealing more on that over the coming weeks.
“Established in 1808 and originally produced at the Royal Irish Distilleries in Belfast, Dunville’s was among the world’s most famous whiskeys until its untimely demise in 1936. We revived the iconic Dunville’s brand in 2012 and as it’s proud custodians we have been doing everything we can to restore The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the world’s best whiskies.”
The World Whiskies Award select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. They are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts. Dunville’s winning whiskies will now go on to compete in the Best Irish Single Malt and Best Irish Blended Whiskey categories, the winners of which will be announced on 28th March.
Echlinville’s success at the World Whiskies Awards comes just weeks after Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin was named Best Irish Contemporary Gin at the World Gin Awards.
For more information or to book a Tour and Tasting at The Echlinville Distillery visit www.echlinville.com
Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin has been named Best Irish Contemporary Style Gin at the World Gin Awards.
Echlinville Gin is now in the running for the title of World’s Best Contemporary Style Gin, the winner of which will be announced at the World Gin Awards on 21 February.
This is the latest accolade for Echlinville Gin, which won the Gold Medal in the Irish Gin category at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2018 and a coveted Three Star rating at the Great Taste Awards in 2017.
We are one of the few distilleries to distil our own neutral base spirit for our gin. Echlinville Gin is crafted only from barley grown, harvested and floor malted on ourdistillery farm. The malted barley is mashed, fermented and ‘trickle pot distilled’ to create the unique base spirit that sets Echlinville Gin apart in terms of taste and provenance.
Infused with carefully selected botanicals including local gorse flower petals and seaweed from Strangford Lough, Echlinville Gin is complex and perfectly balanced, boasting fresh floral and zesty citrus notes. Sweet and smooth, with a malt character and rich creamy mouthfeel, it is as comfortable sipped neat as it is in the company of elderflower tonic, lemon and mint, its recommended serve.
Echlinville had a busy evening at the Irish Whiskey Awards where we were delighted to pick up four awards.
We brought home two more accolades for Dunville’s Irish Whiskey, with Dunville’s VR 17 Year old Port Mourant Rum Finish Whiskey winning Gold Medal for Irish Single Cask Whiskey. This is the limited edition rum finish whiskey’s second major award, having already been named Best Irish Single Cask at the World Whiskies Awards.
Dunville’s PX 12 Year Old Single Malt picked up the Gold Medal in the 12 Years and Under category. Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin won the Irish Gin Gold Medal and Bán Poitín was named Best Irish Poitín.
Echlinville Single Estate Irish Pot Still Gin has received one of the world’s most sought-after food and drink awards – a coveted Three Star rating at the Great Taste Awards.
Distilled from field-to-glass at The Echlinville Distillery in Co. Down (Northern Ireland), Echlinville Gin is the only Irish gin, and one of only eight spirits in total, to achieve Great Taste’s top rating. The Three Star award secures Echlinville Gin’s place among the best gins in the world.
Judged by over 500 of the most demanding palates belonging to food critics, chefs, cooks, restaurateurs and producers, as well as a whole host of food writers and journalists, Great Taste is regarded as the most respected accreditation scheme for food and drink producers.
12,366 products were entered for this year’s competition, with just 165 awarded the highest possible Three Star rating – reserved for those whose taste is judged to be ‘exquisite’ or ‘wow’.
“In a world filling up with gins, this one stands out”
The judging panel described Echlinville Gin as ‘exceptional’, ‘quite stunning’ and ‘truly outstanding’, saying:”In a world filling up with gins, this one stands out.”
Speaking about the award, Echlinville Distillery founder and owner Shane Braniff said: “We are hugely proud that Echlinville Gin has been listed among the top-rated products at Great Taste 2017. The Great Taste label is a badge of honour and a signpost to an exquisite tasting product.
“Echlinville Gin is made with a unique barley neutral base spirit distilled from barley grown and floor malted on the distillery farm. To distil your own neutral spirit is something of a rarity in the gin business, and sets Echlinville Gin apart from its competitors. Few distilleries in the world can offer a gin of such provenance.
“From field to glass, every stage of Echlinville Gin’s journey has been perfected at our distillery, and we are delighted that it has been recognised with this seal of approval from Great Taste and The Guild of Fine Food.”
A gin true of place
Shane continued:”The heart of gin may be juniper, but the soul of any spirit comes from its connection to the place where it is made. We are very proud of our roots in the Ards Peninsula, and that sense of place is the essence of our gin. Our homegrown Echlinville barley, Strangford Lough sweet kelp, indigenous whin bush petals and an array of hand-picked botanicals combine to give our gin a true connection to the land and the sea.
“The malted barley neutral spirit gives a balanced complexity, malt character and creamy mouthfeel that was noted by the Great Taste judges. It is as comfortable sipped neat as it is in the company of elderflower tonic, lemon and mint, its recommended serve.”
Award winning distillery
Believed to be Ireland’s only ‘field to glass’ distillery, all Echlinville’s new-make spirit is distilled from barley grown, harvest and floor malted on the distillery’s own farmland.
Shane continued: “Echlinville was Northern Ireland’s first newly licensed distillery in over 125 years and we have established ourselves at the forefront of Ireland’s spirits renaissance. Primarily a whiskey distillery, we began distilling in 2013 and laid down our first casks of single malt and pot still whiskeys, which came of age last year.
“All our new-make spirit is distilled from barley grown and malted on our own land. From reviving the tradition of distillery floor malting to perfecting the art of trickle pot distillation, we have departed from modern distillery norms in the quest to produce spirits with the finest possible taste and character. Our commitment to quality is at the heart of everything we do, and we are delighted that has been recognised by Great Taste.”
The Echlinville Distillery is raising a glass to its Dunville’s PX 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey, which has won its third consecutive World Whiskies Award.
Dunville’s PX has been named the Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under for the third year running – a rare achievement in the whiskey industry. The win is the latest in a string of successes for Dunville’s PX, which also won the 2016 Irish Whiskey Award in the same category.
The World Whiskies Awards select, reward and promote the highest quality whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe and are judged by an international panel of whiskey experts. Best Irish Single Malt 12 Years and Under is among the competition’s most hotly contested categories.
The Spirit of Belfast
Dunville’s was among the world’s best known Irish whiskeys until the demise of the Royal Belfast Distillery in 1936. The iconic brand was revived by The Echlinville Distillery owner Shane Braniff, who made it one of Echlinville’s founding goals to bring ‘The Spirit of Belfast’ back to the world. And they have done so, to international acclaim.
Shane said: “Until recently, the only place you could buy a bottle of Dunville’s whiskey was at auction, but we are proud to have restored The Spirit of Belfast to its rightful place among the premier whiskeys of the world. To win three consecutive World Whiskies Awards in such a competitive category is almost unheard of, and we are incredibly proud of that achievement.
“Echlinville recently expanded the Dunville’s portfolio to include Dunville’s Three Crowns, a premium vintage blend of superior aged whiskeys finished in three of the finest casks. And we have big plans for the brand in 2017 with the imminent launch of Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated, which will be Ireland’s only peated blended whiskey. Further releases, including a new 16 year old single malt expression and an exceptional Rum Finish limited edition whiskey are planned for later in the year.
“After an 80-year absence, the Dunville’s revival has been well worth the wait and we look forward leading The Spirit of Belfast through a new chapter in its already proud history.”
At the heart of Ireland’s spirits renaissance
Echlinville became Northern Ireland’s first newly licensed distillery in over 125 years and has since established itself at the forefront of Ireland’s spirits renaissance.
Echlinville is believed to be Ireland’s only ‘field to glass’ distillery, and last year the distillery launched Ireland’s first super-premium single estate pot still gin. Echlinville Gin is made with a neutral base spirit distilled at Echlinville from the distillery’s homegrown floor malted barley.
Shane continued: “The heart of gin may be juniper, but the soul of any spirit comes from its connection to the place where it is made. Our own Echlinville barley and carefully selected botanicals, including local seaweeds and indigenous whin bush petals, give our gin a true sense of place. From field to glass, every stage of Echlinville Gin’s journey has been perfected at our distillery. Few distilleries can offer a gin of such provenance.”
Echlinville is also home to Jawbox Gin, which has become a firm favourite in bars across Ireland since it launched little over a year ago, and Bán Poitín, a revival of the legendary potato based spirit.
