So it is almost St Patrick’s day when every thing is about the Green, and ginger wigs. Celebrations this year will be muted, of course, and things moved on line: Zoom Shamrocks, Live streamed Stout and the Bodhran on Youtube. Oh for the days of liberation and back into the pub, it is coming soon folks I am sure. It’s the future. Now speaking of the future and things green there is more emphasis on sustainability and improving the environment and with that new ideas on how this can be achieved. Using less, recycling and working with nature is all ways industry, and private citizens, can help with the world we live in. With that in mind the good folk at Waterford have introduced the first Organic whiskey in Ireland. Using organic, biodynamic, Barley, from the hand selected farmers, 7 of them, the distillery is working with they are creating something quite unique. Laying down on a few hundred casks a year this is quite a small, but important, way of making our favourite spirit. Yields are low and costs are high but that hasn’t stopped them from producing this bottling and good on them for jumping through all the hoops to get it to market. No easy task.
Waterford are doing very unconventional things and, under the leadership of the maverick Mark Raynier, formerly of Bruichladdich in Islay there is a bit of a shift happening in the whole industry. Recently a peer reviewed paper was published showing that the idea of Terroir, like that of wine, exists in Whiskey, or at least in the new make spirit before it is aged. This whiskey has a complex aging, being aged in 4 different casks from Bourbon to Sweet wine. Bottled at 50% and with no colouring or chill filtration it is as natural as it can be.
The bottling is very important as it is shows how things can be done, with the environment in mind and a more intimate insight into the project.
Nose – Citrus fresh, buttered bread and pine oil 2/3
Palate – Grapefruit, plenty of Barley, fruity sweetness. Mouth feel is nice and oily 2/3
Finish – Currant sharpness, Oak coming through and creamy sweet. Good length for a young 2.5/3
Value for money – 1/1
Total – 7.5/10
