Our New Arrival of the Week is something fans of Irish whiskey fans all around the world will have been waiting for…
Dingle Distillery is doing a very good job of making a name for itself in the Irish spirits category. Just this year its Dry GIn was named the World’s Best Gin at the 2019 World Gin Awards. But for whiskey fans, the Kerry-based brand is better known as the home of one of the most in-demand ranges of small-batch spirits, an annual release that has brought us some of the finest Irish single malts on the market.
This year on the 4th of April, Dingle revealed the long-awaited Batch 4 Single Malt (see what they did there, with all the 4s? That’s marketing right there, my friends), as well as its cask strength variant, to the world. This is very exciting. There’s a reason this is our New Arrival of the Week.
Part of Dingle’s appeal as an Irish whiskey producer is that it was one of the first of the delightful new breed of Irish distilleries to have its own distillate to release. Many have not yet reached the stage where the stock has matured enough to be bottled as whiskey, and so have to make do with importing spirit from elsewhere in Ireland or creating gins and vodkas in the meantime.
The superb Irish distillery has gotten a lot of attention for its delicious spirits.
Dingle, however, is able to demonstrate its own distillery profile in its spirit and has taken this opportunity to emphasise provenance in its whiskey production. Each expression was distilled in its three bespoke copper pot stills and diluted with localised well water, for example. But what probably stands out the most about its annual batches of single malt to fans is the increasing variety of casks used in maturation.
The first batch was drawn from bourbon casks. The second from bourbon and Pedro Ximénez casks. Batch three was a marriage of bourbon cask and Port cask-matured whiskey. And what of Dingle Single Malt – Batch No.4? It was drawn from a combination of bourbon, sherry (both Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso) and Port casks. Which technically is four casks, isn’t it? They’ve done it again!
Elliot Hughes, a partner at The Dingle Distillery, said that this maturation in the distillery’s three main cask types, “gives it a really unique point of difference which should once again give people further insight into how our Dingle whiskey will continue to grow in terms of flavour over the coming years.”
But what of the flavour of this particular batch? Well, the first thing to be said about Dingle Single Malt – Batch No.4 is that it’s properly delicious, which is a good start. While this is a rich and creamy dram (think chocolate, vanilla, toffee) with plenty of distinct wine notes present (lots and lots of sherried dried fruit), there’s also some pleasant drying warm spice (gingersnap biscuits) as well as a refreshing burst of citrus (citrus) that makes this a well-rounded and balanced bottling.
Now, there will be some people reading this who are resigned to the idea that they won’t get to taste this beauty for themselves. When it comes to Dingle single malt releases, the volumes that are available tend to be quite low. That’s what you get with small-batch production techniques. These whiskies are highly sought after and its little surprise to see them sell out in a matter of days.
However, batch number four means more this year. Following an increase in production, there are 30,000 bottles of Dingle Single Malt – Batch No.4 available globally, compared to the 2,000 bottles that were created in total for Batch 3. In fact, that number will now be available in the UK alone, with a release of 500 bottles of a cask strength variant to be launched exclusively in the UK and Ireland. This is good news as it hopefully means more people will get to taste this fine whiskey.
Regardless, if you want one – move fast. It’s very tasty and I want more. Sláinte!
