The Waterford Distillery was launched by Mark Reynier in Ireland, drawing inspiration from the greatest wineries around the world. Mark managed the Bruichladdich Distillery before launching Waterford with the goal of transparency to reveal the terroirs of barley which is used to make whisky.
The whiskies are made from 100% Irish barley, with each bottling being the result of a harvest from a single farm in most cases. One batch of distillation comes from a single farm. Waterford works with between 35 and 46 farms, so can produce in theory 35-46 unique whiskies. The whisky is double distilled with a pot still at a lower temperature to keep as much flavour as possible in the whisky. The distilled spirit is then placed in barrels for ageing. Waterford records at the bottom of each bottle all the factors that influenced the qualities of each whisky, such as field soil type, barley and yeast varieties, and the barrels used.
I attended a seminar to taste six different Irish whiskies from the Waterford Distillery. The seminar was hosted by Dr. Dustin Herb. Dustin received his Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics from the Crop and Soil Science Department at Oregon State University. His research includes the genetic contributions of barley and the production environment to malting quality and beer flavour while developing sustainable varieties for the Pacific Northwest. Prior to starting his doctorate program, he received a B.S. in Agronomy from OSU working on radiation hybrid mapping of wheat, and an M.S. in plant breeding at Texas A&M University with an emphasis in grain and energy sorghum breeding for renewable energy through co-generation and ethanol production.
Dustin leads Waterford’s academic project stream and was the lead writer of the whisky peer-reviewed paper: “The Impact of Terroir on the Flavour of Single Malt Whisk(e)y New Make Spirit” published in the journal Foods.
My Whisky Tasting Notes
Waterford Single Farm Origin Lakefield Edition 1.1 (BC ~$128.95) – A medium-intensity bright golden colour. Sweet, citrus and marmalade aromas. Dry, lean, and smooth with a light mouthfeel. Citrus, dried fruits and peppery. Long length. Adding water the whisky has a sweeter nose, softer mouthfeel, less pepper, and added vanilla flavour. Dustin mentioned that the Lakefield farm comes from a more inland region that has heavier clay soil, which he noted should give us heavier flavours.
Waterford Single Farm Origin Hook Head Edition 1.1 (BC ~$128.95) – A deeper golden colour. Light vanilla, oak and stone fruit aromas. Light body, smooth with medium pepperiness and a shorter length. Adding water the aromas became lighter. The whisky was smooth, thicker and rounder in the mouth. Floral, citrus, stone fruit and light pepperiness. Much nicer with a few drops of water added. A mellow sip. Dustin noted that the Hook Head farm comes from a more cooler, windier coastal area with the soil being a mix of loam and sand.
Waterford The Cuvee (BC ~$138.99) – The Cuvée, is the result of blending from 25 farms, the sum of 25 Single Farm Origins distillations. This whisky has an even deeper golden colour. Light aromas of sweet spices, vanilla, and marmalade. Light body, smooth with medium acidity and light pepperiness. Some citrus and marmalade flavours. Adding water this whisky becomes rounder and smoother and you can now get a hint of oak.
Waterford Arcadian Farm Origin Organic Gaia Edition 1.2 (BC ~$138.99) – As there are not many organic farms growing barley, several farms’ harvests were used. This version is the result of a blend of 42% first-fill Bourbon barrels, 17% American new oak barrels, 23% French oak barrels, and 18% barrels that contained a Vins Doux Naturels sweet wine.
A medium-plus golden colour. Light aromas of cut apple and vanilla. Medium-plus body, smooth with medium-intensity pepperiness. Oak and dried fruit flavours. Medium-plus length with a touch of marmalade on the finish. A touch of sweetness on the finish. Adding water increases the variety of aromas. Sweet, cedar and oak and vanilla. The whisky becomes smoother and rounder with a soft finish. I enjoyed the aromas of this whisky.
Waterford Arcadian Farm Origin Organic Gaia Edition 2.1 (BC ~$144.95) – As there are not many organic farms growing barley, several farms’ harvests were used. This new limited edition is the result of a blend of 39% first-fill Bourbon barrels, 17% American new oak barrels, 19% French oak barrels, and 25% barrels that have contained a Vins Doux Naturels sweet wine.
A medium golden colour. Light peach and citrus aromas. Medium body, dry and smooth with dried fruits and light spices on the palate. Adding water brought in more stone fruits and sweet aromas. The body and spices became lighter. I think I prefer this whisky without water added.
Waterford Arcadian Farm Origin Biodynamic Luna Edition 1.1 (BC ~$154.99) – This is the first biodynamic whisky produced in the world. As there are few biodynamic farms growing barley, several farms’ harvests were used. Aged in 35% American first-fill oak barrels; 17% American new oak barrels, 26% French oak barrels, and 22% Vins Doux Naturels oak barrels. The whisky is given the term “luna” which is Latin for moon, as the phases of the moon are of utmost importance when farming practices are undertaken in biodynamics.
This whisky has a medium-minus intensity golden colour. Crisp apple aromas. Smooth and round with citrus flavours. Spicy finish. Adding water, I picked up citrus and toast on the nose. The whisky was a bit smoother and lighter-bodied.
A Few Observations and Notes
I indeed did detect differences between these whiskies. Some were lighter than others. The length of each whisky and flavours and aromas had differences. Some opened up with the addition of a few drops of water. All are interesting to try.
I did ask why the bottles were coloured blue. Was it to shield the whisky from sunlight, similar to the brown and green glass bottles from wine? No, it is just a nice coloured bottle that helps it stand out from other whiskies. Did you notice the rings on the bottom third of each bottle in my pictures? The rings are meant to represent the layers in the whisky, in particular for the Cuvee which blends 25 single-farm origin whiskies.
Where Can I Buy These Whiskies?
Some of these whiskies may be found at private liquor stores: Legacy Liquor, Liberty Wine Merchants, and High Point.
