Dublin Liberties Oak Devil Irish Whiskey Review
By Emma Briones
Rating: B-
(Credit: Emma Briones)
In July 2015, Quintessential Brands launched a new Irish whiskey: The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil. The whiskey takes its name from the past of The Liberties area in Dublin, where the company acquired an urban distillery project, then known as the Dublin Whiskey Company.
In the 1700s, The Liberties was known as “Hell” due to the riots that happened in the Dublin quarter. They say that an oak-carved devil stood to watch over the entrance to The Liberties, saving the mayhem happening within. Over time, the devil disappeared and, legend has it, the carving was made into whiskey barrels. Like this, the dark power of the devil subsumed and infused the maturing spirit.
The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil is a non-chill-filtered blend. Distilled and matured in Ireland, it is a blend of malt and grain whiskeys aged for over three years in Bourbon casks. It has been bottled at 46% volume (92 proof).
The Whiskey
The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil comes in a bold and beautiful black bottle with a red & black label where the devil is the focus. On the glass, it is intense gold with short tears.
On the nose, it is fresh, rich and grassy. There are some light fruit notes, led by bananas and peaches. It is followed by some soft oak notes and a touch of dark fruits.
It is on the palate that the 46% volume comes to the forefront with strong peppery notes. It is smooth and spicy, with notes of vanilla, toffee and, especially, honey. There are also some spicy notes, with hints of cinnamon.
The finish is long and has different layers. It starts with the peppery and grassy notes lingering on the palate, followed by sweet toffee notes.
The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil is a good dram, but in no way a surprising whiskey. The long and intense finish is clearly the highlight of, with both the nose and the palate are a little bit boring and flat. Despite this, The Dublin Liberties Oak Devil is an interesting choice for its price range for those lovers of spicy whiskey and also those who want to enjoy a nice Irish blend.
The Price
In the UK it retails at £35, with prices in Europe going from 32€ to 42€.
