A Fireside Chat with the Waterford Whisky Makers – Episode 9 – 07/11/22

Our team behind the Arcadian Farm Origin Whiskies sit down for a fireside chat. After eight episodes covering the various groundbreaking whisky releases in the series, we wanted to follow up on some of the topics covered this season, get some additional insights on the whiskies released and try to sneakily get some information on future releases. In this fireside chat, we’re joined by Head Distiller Ned Gahan, Head Brewer Neil Conway and Terroir Coordinator Angelita Fonseca-Hynes.

Waterford Distillery Brings The Smoke – Episode 8 – 01/11/22

With two peated whisky releases on the market, the team revels in the journey taken to introduce Irish peat to Irish malt for the first time in a generation. In this episode we’ll share challenges inherent within the Irish whisky landscape of producing peated whiskies the Waterford way, and we’ll discuss proposed legislation that could threaten the very use of peat by distilleries in Ireland.

A Shared Vision for Peated Irish Whisky – Episode 7 – 24/10/22

For almost 20 years one solitary Irish whisky represented the peated category. Today, that number has swelled to almost fifty different peated expressions, with more on the way. Are palates warming to the smoky characteristics of a peated whisky or has there long been a lack of supply?

Bringing Peated Whisky Back: Peat’s Turbulent History in Ireland – Episode 6 – 17/10/22

Often overshadowed by its Scottish neighbours when it comes to talk of smoky or peated whiskies, Ireland’s historic use of peat tells its own remarkable story of cultural and economic development, of communities built and industries created. In this episode, we examine that rich history and its relevance to the world of whisky.

From 50 Grams to 50 Barrels – How A Dormant Barley Variety Became Whisky – Episode 5 – 10/10/22

In our quest to unearth Whisky’s most natural flavours, we sought to revive old barley varieties that lay in cold storage at the Department of Agriculture’s Seed Bank outside Dublin. These grains held the flavours and stories of a different time where different approaches to farming, brewing and distilling reigned.

Rediscovering Historical Grains in the Pursuit of Flavour – Episode 4 – 03/10/22

In this episode we explore the history of Ireland’s heritage barley varieties. Most of these historic, heritage varieties have long since died out, but five years ago our team wondered if we might be able to resurrect some of these long-lost grains. Were these grains more flavourful? Did they exhibit characteristics that we may have interest in today?

How the Distillery Adapts to Biodynamic & Organic Whisky Making – Episode 3 – 26/09/22

In the last season of the podcast, we broke down the entire process from growing to bottling. When it comes to biodynamic and organic whisky making, however, there are extra complexities to ensure compliance with the certifying bodies.

Driven by Beliefs & Vision: The Organic and Biodynamic Approach – Episode 2 – 19/09/22

In this week’s episode we’re continuing our deep dive into the esoteric world of our most iconoclastic growers – the biodynamic farmers. We’ll hear from the growers behind the barley that eventually ends up in our biodynamic and organic whiskies.

Arcadian Farm Origins Series – Episode 1 – 11/09/22

In this season we’re following the flavour, pulling back the covers on Waterford Distillery’s unique approach and philosophy when it comes to barley, focusing on the Arcadian series, a collection of whiskies with their roots in how whisky used to be made. Did these approaches yield more flavour? The Arcadian Series of whiskies seeks to answer this question.

The Science of Whisky Terroir – Episode 8 – 13/04/21

In the final episode of our series we hear from the scientists and researchers who have spent the last two years investigating whether terroir can exist in whisky and we learn how the team at Waterford Distillery intends to build on their first whisky releases to achieve their goal of producing the most flavourful litre of alcohol ever created. 

Does It Matter? Whisky Drinkers Weigh In – Episode 7 – 06/04/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven: The Waterford Whisky Podcast, we hear from those who drink the whisky to try to get a better understanding of what matters to them, what they like and dislike about the whisky and we’ll hear how whisky drinkers’ expectations of their whisky producers have changed over the past few years.

When Spirit Meets Wood – Episode 6 – 30/03/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven: The Waterford Whisky podcast, we examine the most time-consuming aspect of whisky making, maturation, in order to best understand how the spirit and wood interact with one another and build upon each previous step of the whisky making process in the pursuit of the most flavourful litre of alcohol ever created.

The Concentration of Flavour – Episode 5 – 23/03/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven: The Waterford Whisky podcast, we’re looking at the science behind distillation, the unique low and slow distilling approach favoured by Waterford Distillery and how distillation can preserve, concentrate and maximise each barley field’s unique flavour.

From Malt to Mash – Episode 4 – 16/03/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven: We’ll follow the barley from the field to the maltster – and on to the brewing stage – with Grace O’Reilly, Waterford Distillery’s Agronomist and Neil Conway, Head Brewer.

A Farm-first Approach – Episode 3 – 09/03/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven: We’ll meet growers who have farmed their land for generations, we’ll learn what it means to them to be part of our approach and we’ll follow barley’s journey from sowing to harvesting.

The War on Terroir – Episode 2 – 02/03/21

In this episode of Terroir-Driven:  We hear from whisky experts and enthusiasts who paint a picture of a whisky industry that has followed a certain approach to whisky making for many years and how Waterford Distillery’s pursuit of a barley and a flavour-forward process has been met with raised eyebrows and criticism from whisky producers and consumers.

The Genesis of an Idea – Episode 1 – 23/02/21

In this first episode of Terroir-Driven: The Waterford Whisky podcast, Mark Reynier opens up about the events that led him to Ireland’s South East and shares with host Barry Chandler how he set about building a new approach to whisky making from farm to bottle.