Editor’s Be aware: This whisky was offered to us as a evaluate pattern by Waterford Whisky. This under no circumstances, per our editorial insurance policies, influenced the ultimate consequence of this evaluate. It must also be famous that by clicking the purchase hyperlink in the direction of the underside of this evaluate our website receives a small referral fee which helps to help, however not affect, our editorial and different prices.
Waterford Whisky was based by a staff led by Mark Raynier, the wine dealer who beforehand resurrected the then-mothballed Bruichladdich Distillery. Bruichladdich was finally bought to Rémy Cointreau, however Mark apparently nonetheless had one other whisky mission in him—and this one took him throughout the water to Eire, the place he launched Waterford Whisky in Waterford, Eire, in 2015.
The place Bruichladdich is romantically nostalgic, Waterford is high-tech. The distillery–which the model calls its “Facilitator,” in an uncommon utility of company HR-jargon–was constructed inside a former Guinness brewery initially constructed in 2003. Exhausting to think about a greater spot for a malt whisky distillery. It’s nonetheless kitted out with all Guinness’ fancy brewing gear, together with a hydromill that mills malt underwater for higher hydration and a large fermentation room that might be a terrific set for the climax of an ‘80s motion flick. The 2 pot stills, nevertheless, are historic, reclaimed from the Inverleven Distillery after it was mothballed.
Waterford is hyper-focused on provenance and terroir (or tēireoir, in line with the Gaelic spelling the model prefers), sourcing barley from practically 100 completely different farms. A storage facility designed to maintain particular person plenty of barley separate allows their explorations of provenance-specific taste, together with farm-specific releases. They’re additionally eager supporters of other farming practices, together with natural and biodynamically grown barley.
The result’s a number of particular, “barley-forward” bottlings designed to showcase the delicate variations in taste ensuing from barley provenance. This evaluate focuses on Waterford’s flagship The Cuvée launch, which is a mix of 25 completely different individually distilled single farm origin whiskies. It was aged 4 years and 5 months in a mix of first-fill American oak, virgin American oak, French oak, and candy wine casks, then bottled at 50% ABV with out chill filtration or synthetic coloring.
“We now have celebrated and explored the singles,” writes Waterford on their web site. “Now we produce our extra immersive idea album.” And there’s something about Waterford that feels extra like an artwork mission than the rest. Maybe it’s the code on the again of this bottle that results in a web site with extra info, together with an inventory of all the barley varieties and the farms the place they had been grown, in addition to a 14-minute Soundcloud recording of the commercial sounds of the Facilitator at work. “Cool harsh noise album,” my husband mentioned approvingly after he hit play.
Waterford The Cuvée (picture by way of Margarett Waterbury)
Tasting Notes: Waterford The Cuvée
Important Stats: Irish single malt whisky. 50% ABV/100 proof. Aged 4 years, 5 months, in a mix of first-fill and virgin American oak, French oak, and candy wine casks. Barley sourced from 25 completely different farms. Pure colour, non-chill-filtered. Pricing round $100.
Look: Pale gold
Nostril: A beautiful mixture of pastry cream, darkly toasted bread, cracked black pepper, dried apricots, and a wealthy assortment of grassy-green aromas like kiwi, tomatillo, reduce grass, and tomato leaf. There’s additionally a roasty undertone, verging on burnt, that provides it a little bit of meatiness in addition to a contact of rubber.
Palate: Full, wealthy, oily, and salty, with toasted bread, buttery oatmeal, darkish honey, and marmalade. The end brings citric tartness and a peanut taste I affiliate with younger malt whisky in addition to heat hay and a slight industrial forged, like scorching metallic. Water makes it even sweeter, with nougat and fruit coming to the fore.
