Waterford Whisky has set out to prove that terroir also exists in barley with whisky.
Working alongside researchers from Oregon State University and Ireland, the Waterford team first distilled spirits from barley grown in two different locations and analyzed the results using both sensory taste tests and chemistry. The results supported their hypothesis that the barley’s terroir does impact the flavor of single malt whisky.
Their findings led to Waterford’s Single Farm Origin Series. Consisting of the Dunmore: Edition 1.1, Rathclogh: Edition 1.1 and Dunbell: Edition 1.1, these whiskies are three unique single malts, produced at Waterford Distillery from barley grown and harvested from three separate farms in Ireland.
Waterford’s Single Farm Origin: Dunmore: Edition 1.1 includes barley grown by John Tynan in County Laois. At the top of Tynan’s fields is the early medieval fort that lends the town its name – An Dún Mór, the big fort – a reminder of turbulent times of lore. Nestled between the Slieve Bloom Mountains & the Castlecomer Plateau of County Laois is this westerly-facing, lowland terroir, of limestone-derived loamy drift that harbors a compact gravelly tilth.
Waterford’s Single Farm Origin: Rathclogh: Edition 1.1 features barley grown by Richard Raftice. The strategic importance of Ráthchloch (stone fort), on the old Kilkenny to Waterford road, was equally appreciated by the Vikings adjacent Danesfort. The striking vantage point looks over Raftice’s low lying land of quick-drying, shallow gravel soils deposited by ancient glacier meltwater ensuring it is an early sowing/ripening terroir.
Waterford’s Single Farm Origin: Dunbell: Edition 1.1 has barley grown by Ned Murphy, east of the River Nore in County Kilkenny. Dunbell (Dún Bile, edge fort) lies east of the River Nore in County Kilkenny. Murphy’s barley ripens in the shadow of Tullaherin’s round tower, site of a 5th century monastery where monks converting the Osraige (deer people) must have favored the deep loamy soils derived from glacial drift of limestone, sandstone & shale.
Each of Waterford Whisky’s Single Farm Origin Series retails for $95 a bottle.
