Echlinville Distillery
About the distillery (in brief)
Old Comber Irish Whiskey belongs to Echlinville Distillery in County Down and has been revived as a brand with deep roots in Irish whiskey history. Here, classic pot still character meets a clear anchoring in the distillery’s own farm, where the barley is grown, floor-malted and turned into whiskey on-site. What’s special about Old Comber is the distinctive use of port and sherry casks, which give the whiskey its full-bodied, spicy and ripe fruit profile.
History
Old Comber was founded in 1825 and was produced at Comber Distilleries, which was located close to the area where Echlinville is today. At the height of its popularity, the brand was considered among the big names in Irish whiskey, and in 1953 it disappeared when Comber Distilleries closed. Nearly 70 years later, Echlinville revived the name and set out to bring Old Comber back to County Down. The comeback was marked in 2021, when the first new release was launched as a pot still blend finished in Ruby Port casks. At the same time, the ambition was clear: to stick with traditional methods, the connection to the local soil, and the style that made Old Comber known for quality and powerful flavor.
Raw materials and production
Old Comber is built around the single estate concept. The 7-year-old single pot still expression is distilled exclusively from barley that is grown, harvested and floor-malted at Echlinville’s own farm, and floor-malted barley is also used. In the broader Old Comber story, the distillery also works with both malted and unmalted barley, and Aird Cask Collective also mentions a heritage mash bill with malted oats. The whiskey is described as mashed, fermented, distilled, casked, matured, finished, bottled and labelled on-site, underlining a fully anchored field-to-glass setup. The brand’s historical style is tied to the double-distilled pot still tradition in County Down, and it is this structure that carries the full-bodied, spicy and creamy profile.
Maturation and cask types
Maturation takes place in Echlinville’s dunnage warehouses, and the cask profile is central to Old Comber. The classic signature is a finish in port and sherry casks, especially Oloroso Sherry as well as Tawny and Ruby Port. The first revived expression was matured in American Oak and Bourbon casks in the warehouse and then finished in Ruby Port. The 200th Anniversary release was matured in ex-bourbon casks and gained extra depth from Oloroso Sherry, Tawny Port and Ruby Port. This gives the series a clear combination of fruit, spice and wood structure without losing the weight of the pot still.
Whiskies
The current Old Comber range runs from the classic Old Comber Irish Whiskey to Old Comber 7 Year Old Single Pot Still and the limited 200th Anniversary edition. The common thread is a powerful, full-bodied Irish whiskey style with clear cask influence and a distinct pot still core. The classic whiskey is a blend of pot still and grain whiskeys, while the 7 Year Old Single Pot Still shows the brand’s cleaner single estate expression. The Anniversary edition brings the history together in a special release of 2016 bottles and adds extra weight from the longer cask routine and higher strength. Overall, the series is characterized by tradition, fruit, spice and a clear connection to County Down.
| Whisky | Type / series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and style | Tasting profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Comber Irish Whiskey | Irish whiskey | 46 % | Port casks and Sherry casks; finish: Finish | A blend of pot still and grain Irish whiskeys, finished in port and sherry casks.; Nose: Soft orchard fruits, red apples, over-ripe pears and red apple skins with baked plum cake, vanilla and a hint of nutmeg.; Palate: Big, full-bodied and smooth with red berries, madeira cake trifle, sherry and vanilla, baked plums, cinnamon, pomegranate and soft oaky tannin.; Finish: Long and persistent with cream soda, iced raspberry, cherry Bakewell tart, warm spiced ginger cake and vanilla cream. | Current; Core range; In stock | |
| Old Comber 7 Year Old Single Pot Still | Irish whiskey | 46 % | 7 years | Oloroso Sherry casks, Tawny Port casks and Ruby Port casks; finish: Finish | Single Estate Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, distilled from barley grown, harvested and floor malted at The Echlinville Distillery.; Nose: Sweet vanilla, fragrant pine, fresh canary melon, cinnamon-poached pears, warm cherry Bakewell tart, toasted almonds and figs in caramel syrup.; Palate: Boiled barley sugar, orchard fruit drops and manuka honey move into pecan pie, red berries, glazed cherries and crystalised stem ginger with dark chocolate.; Finish: Medium-long with banana and maple pancakes, clove, nutmeg cocoa, a hint of menthol, plus warm white pepper and lingering ginger spice. | Current; Core range; In stock |
| Old Comber 200th Anniversary | Irish whiskey | 50 % | 7 years | ex-bourbon casks, Oloroso Sherry casks, Tawny Port casks and Ruby Port casks; finish: Maturation and Finish | Limited release of 2016 bottles celebrating 200 years of Old Comber.; Nose: Full-bodied and waxy with old school Pure Pot Still oils and spices, stewed damsons, dried raisins, pine cones, date- and ginger cake plus vanilla and marzipan icing.; Palate: Fresh cut hay, red apples, boiled sweet butter candies, roasted coffee beans, Jamaican molasses, ginger cake, toasted walnuts, mocha, dark chocolate, liquorice, dried stone fruits, cinnamon and clove.; Finish: Long and persistent with fresh red berry compote, salted caramel, vanilla cream, almond biscotti, green tea, fresh ginger syrup and white pepper spice. | Limited; In stock; 2016 bottles |
Style and tasting profile of the whiskies
Old Comber moves between sweet matured fruit, classic pot still spice and full-bodied cask sweetness. On the nose, vanilla, pears, red apples, damsons and dried raisins show up again and again, while the palate often opens with barley sugar, honey, red berries, cherries and baked fruit. At the same time, there’s a warm line of spice with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and white pepper, which gives the whiskey bite. Port and sherry casks also add notes of toffee, salted caramel, dark chocolate, coffee and nuts, rounding out the expression.
Visit the distillery
Echlinville opens its doors to visitors with experiences, a café, a shop and opportunities for cask sales, and Old Comber is part of the public brand and visitor universe. The delivered text does not provide an actual tour plan or specific booking and opening times, but it clearly shows that the site is set up for guests and for sales directly at the distillery. So you can combine a visit with shopping and a look into the story that ties the farm, production and whiskey together.
Philosophy and craftsmanship
Old Comber is built on respect for its origins and on a consistent single estate approach to whiskey. The barley comes from Echlinville’s own land, and the distillery highlights both traditional methods and its role as Ireland’s first field-to-glass distillery. At the same time, there is a clear ambition to bring a historical County Down brand back, with loyalty to the classic port and sherry finishes. The result is a whiskey where local heritage, craftsmanship and the revival of a lost brand go hand in hand.
Latest news
Old Comber Whiskey revived – 2021-06-01
Echlinville revived Old Comber Irish Whiskey after nearly 70 years of absence and launched the first expression, a pot still blend finished in Ruby Port casks and bottled at 46% abv. At the same time, the brand’s history and County Down roots were highlighted, including the double-distilled pot still tradition in the area.