ANNOUNCING THE FIRST SINGLE MALT WHISKIES IN A GENERATION TO USE IRISH PEAT-DRIED BARLEY

We’re pleased to share the release of two new single malt whiskies this autumn that were created using both Irish-harvested peat and Irish-grown barley – the first in a generation to do so. The releases celebrate a return to the traditional ways and flavours of irish whisky production

Out of necessity since the dawn of time, peat has been the primary fuel source in rural Ireland, with its sweet pungency familiar to generations gathered around the hearths of ancient thatched cottages. This same diffused aroma cloaked barley dried over peat smoke by illicit distillers, a custom that began to die out in the 1850s.

As part of our pioneering quest to unearth whisky’s most natural flavours, we dried barley grown on two Single Farm Origins of Ballybannon and Fenniscourt, Co. Carlow, using peat cut from Ballyteige in Co.Kildare. Each farm’s harvest was peated to different levels: Fenniscourt’s barley to 38ppm and Ballybannon’s barley to 47ppm.

The bottlings are the latest in our Arcadian Farm Origins, which previously saw the first organic Irish whisky and the world’s first biodynamic whisky. This series showcases the intensity of natural flavours and honesty from the old ways, and represent real rarity because of the true scarcity of the raw materials.

A PEATED ODYSSEY FROM ISLAY TO IRELAND

No stranger to this method of production, our CEO Mark Reynier, who resurrected Bruichladdich distillery on Islay, created the now-iconic peated Scotch whiskies of Port Charlotte and Octomore.

“To achieve this in Ireland with the same authenticity was going to be a much greater challenge, one that our maltsters, Minch Malt, readily agreed to accept. At Waterford we are fascinated by the natural flavours of whisky so I was curious to see what real Irish peat brings to the table, flavours that have been long lost, and ultimately whether terroir trumps peat in the flavour Olympics.

We selected two Single Farm Origin barleys – with distinctive terroirs – to see if those naturally occurring flavours shone through or were in fact dominated by peat. Finding the right quality Irish peat was a challenge but the greatest problem of all was there were no operational kilns left in Ireland; the knowledge had been forgotten. We needed Scottish help.”

While the peating levels (phenols expressed as parts per million) are similar to famous Islay whiskies such as Port Charlotte and Ardbeg and more than Bowmore or Lagavulin, the extraordinary result is distinctly different with the intensity of Ireland’s barley shining through the encompassing envelope of refined peatiness.

It offers curious tasters and peat fanatics (known affectionately as Peat Freaks) a completely new experience to compare and contrast. Or perhaps it is merely an old one from a bygone era, reawakened? And as to whether terroir trumps peat…

The two Peated whiskies will be released in small quantities worldwide. Check with your your local spirits retailer today about availability.