Ireland’s Waterford distillery, founded by former Bruichladdich miracle worker Mark Reynier, has a decidedly high quality focus upon single origin whiskeys. As we’ve mentioned in recent stories, their whiskeys are all about highlighting the terroir of a specific farm’s barley. Now a range of their expressions are coming available in the US.
The US range of Waterford Irish whiskeys, according to those behind them, include three specific single farm offerings and also one blended from a group of the various farm barleys. The official details for each are as follows:
- Rathclogh: Edition 1.1 – barley grown by Richard Raftice on his low-lying, quick-drying, glacier meltwater gravel soils in Kilkenny. Rath Clogh, Stone Fort.
- Dunbell: Edition 1.1 – barley grown by Ned Murphy, east of the River Nore in County Kilkenny, on deep loamy soils derived from glacial drift of limestone, sandstone & shale. Dun Bile, Fire Fort.
- Dunmore: Edition 1.1 – barley grown by John Tynan in County Laois, on a westerly-facing, lowland terroir by an ancient medieval fort. Dún Mór, Big Fort.
- Organic: Gaia 1.1 is the first ever organic Irish single malt (certified by the Organic Trust) and part of our new Arcadian Series – our unconventional array of heritage, organic and biodynamic distillates. This first whisky is distilled from organic Irish barley grown by John Mallick, Paddy Tobin, Alan Jackson, Pat and Denis Booth, Jason Stanley and Trevor Harris.
The brand also noted that all of its whiskeys “are fully matured in a spectrum of super-premium oak including first-fill and virgin US oak, Vin Doux Naturel – sweet fortified wines – and premium French oak. They’re each bottled at 50% ABV without colouring, chill-filtration or any additives.”
“What we’re producing is single malt whisky that happens to be made in Ireland,” said Reynier in a prepared statement. “What we are doing is an intellectual proposition. It is for the curious, not the followers.”
As it stands now plans call for the three single farm whiskeys to price around $95, while the Organic: Gaia 1.1 will price around $110. All are being imported by Glass Revolution Imports. You’ll find official tasting notes below for each.
Rathclogh: Edition 1.1
- NOSE: Fields and barnyard, black pepper, hay that’s ready to be brought in, blackcurrant jam, warm vanilla, butterscotch, honeycomb, citrus zests.
- PALATE: Sweet stewed apple, berry compote, pepper, mince pie, black cherries, coco chocolate.
- FINISH: Has warmth with a gentle spice that lasts with some butterscotch.
Dunbell: Edition 1.1
- NOSE: Toffee, green apple. A nose that reminds me of autumn. If you had porridge with raisins, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and a nip of Dunbell followed by apple tart and vanilla ice cream, that it. You might have to do like goldilocks after it and have a snooze.
- PALATE: Candied apple, warm spices, pepper, orange peel, apricots, cloves, ginger nut biscuits.
- FINISH: Warm dry spices that linger on the tongue and waters in the mouth.
Dunmore: Edition 1.1
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- NOSE: Malty, raisins, orange chocolate, black peppercorns, citrus fruits, red currants, a nose that is like eating a light cinnamon porridge while sitting in a worn leather chair.
- PALATE: Spice rack bomb, green apple, marzipan, lemon sherbet, liquorice, grapefruit, dark chilly chocolate, popping candy.
- FINISH: Warm clove that tingles on your tongue and then becomes mouth-watering.
Organic: Gaia 1.1
- NOSE: Orange zest, malty figs, seaweed, hay in the field after light rain, salted caramel, peppermint, rosewater, fresh dug soil.
- PALATE: Heat and zesty pepper on the tongue, cloves, figs, oiliness that dries in the mouth, cherries, butterscotch, pears, malty, layers of spice.
- FINISH: Long zesty oiliness that dry’s but leaves you chewing with sweetness that comes right at the end.
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