Ireland’s Waterford Distillery recently bottled its first heritage whiskey, Hunter, by resurrecting a rare barley variety from a long time ago.
A statement from the distiller notes that the barley used for this expression is named after pioneering plant breeder, Dr. Herbert Hunter, and was first introduced in 1959.
Hunter barley was known for its distinctive flavors for two decades before yield-enhancing varieties became the preferred choice.
This new single malt whiskey is the latest in Waterford Distillery’s portfolio as the whiskey-maker seeks unique flavors through different agricultural techniques, terroirs, grains and seeds.
As part of Waterford Whisky’s Arcadian Farm Origins, Heritage: Hunter uses modern technology to identify historic flavors and bring them back to life.
Working alongside partners Minch Malt and the Irish Department of Agriculture, Waterford spent eight years leveraging lost breeding programs from the 1990s in order to discover the original flavors and when barley first evolved with, and adapted to, Ireland’s fields and climate … its terroirs.
These Hunter seeds cost up to three times as much as regular barley, and were upscaled from 50 grams into enough barley to produce 50 barrels from the first harvest.
Waterford Distillery then distilled spirits from two other heritage varieties, Goldthorpe and Old Irish, to create a run of 10,000 bottles of Heritage: Hunter.
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Officials with Waterford touted the environmental benefits of this heritage grain, as the barley was grown in soil with a high humus content, which retains water more efficiently than conventional soil and therefore protects crops against periods of drought.
This protection is enhanced by the fact that Hunter barley has a larger root ball than modern varieties and better access to soil nutrients.
Mark Reynier, Waterford’s founder and CEO, said that malt whiskey gets its flavor and complexity from barley.
“Over time, this inherent flavor has been compromised as distilleries prioritized yield. However, because Waterford Whisky is agricultural produce not a manufactured product, we took the step to resurrect iconic yet forgotten barley varieties. In doing so, we have been able to uncover remarkable insight into what whisky would have tasted like decades ago.”
He said their ultimate aim is to “identify the most flavor-expressive genes from these legendary barley varieties and cross them with modern breeds, so they have more agronomic potential. This will give us a ‘greatest hits’ of barley flavors and the ultimate variety for the most intense and naturally flavorsome whiskies.”
Ned Gahan, Waterford’s head distiller, noted that Heritage: Hunter is matured in a combination of 45% first-fill US oak; 19% virgin US oak; 21% Premium French oak; and 15% Vin Doux Naturel.
On the nose, he described the whisky as earthy, like that of dry soil, with hints of lemon sherbet, red apple skin, dry bark, barnyard, petrichor, rolled barley, baked salt, and chalk.
It tastes of orange cake, dry savory spice, cloves, porridge with prunes, wood char, and citrus oils. It has a dry, green finish with a gentle spice.
In all, there are 10,000 bottles of Heritage: Hunter available to purchase, with a suggested retail price of €75-86/$115/£77 (varying by location).
For more information or to find a bottle, check out www.waterfordwhisky.com.
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