WATERFORD Heritage Hunter

A revolution has shaken up the whisky category in 2020: Waterford Distillery!
Spearheaded by the celebrated Mark Reynier, the project has put the emphasis back on barley, at the heart of the final aroma of a single malt, thanks to an ambitious triptych of Terroir, Traceability and Transparency.

Inspired by the greatest winemakers and thanks to the formidable richness of the Irish terroir, coupled with elite and avant-garde production methods, the distillery has created a sensation with ranges acclaimed by critics and connoisseurs alike.

These include the Arcadian Series, which works with iconoclastic, non-conformist farmers whose values and lifestyles are centred on respect for the land and the pursuit of true flavour rather than crop yields.

After the Organic Gaia and Biodynamic Luna editions, Waterford continues to innovate with Heritage, limited editions made from barley varieties whose cultivation had been stopped in favour of higher-yielding varieties. Yet the aroma of these historic varieties, adapted to the Irish terroir, is unique and deserves to be rediscovered. Waterford has teamed up with Ireland's Department of Agriculture and Minch Malt to 'recreate' these varieties, starting at 25g each.

The first edition is named after Hunter, a variety introduced in 1959 by Dr Herbert Hunter and grown for two decades before being abandoned, causing sadness among many Irish breweries and distilleries who missed its flavoursome profile.

Harvested in 2018 from Donoughmore Farm, the barley was malted and then distilled in 2019. The resulting single malt is intense, with a highly original lemony character, complemented by notes of candied fruit (prune porridge, orange cake) and delicate spices (cloves), sublimated by a touch of farmhouse and saltiness.