Irish

Whisky Review: Waterford The Cuvée

We review the recently launched flagship release from Waterford Whisky, an Irish whiskey brand focused on provenance and terroir.

OVERALL RATING

8
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Tasting Notes

About:

Irish single malt whisky. 50% ABV/100 proof. Aged four years, five months, in a combination of first-fill and virgin American oak, French oak, and sweet wine casks. Barley sourced from 25 different farms. Natural color, non-chill-filtered. Pricing around $100.
Appearance:
Pale gold
Nose:
A lovely combination of pastry cream, darkly toasted bread, cracked black pepper, dried apricots, and a rich assortment of grassy-green aromas like kiwi, tomatillo, cut grass, and tomato leaf. There’s also a roasty undertone, verging on burnt, that gives it a bit of meatiness as well as a touch of rubber.
Palate:
Full, rich, oily, and salty, with toasted bread, buttery oatmeal, dark honey, and marmalade. The finish brings citric tartness and a peanut flavor I associate with young malt whisky as well as warm hay and a slight industrial cast, like hot metal. Water makes it even sweeter, with nougat and fruit coming to the fore.
Finish:
Comments:
Drinking this whisky is a little like watching a talented young musician at their first public performance. Half of the pleasure is imagining what the future might hold. The Cuvée still tastes quite young, although I think that style works for a whisky concerned more with the primary flavor of the grain than the secondary flavors of maturation. Still, I think we’ve got substantial evolution to look forward to.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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