Killone, Stradbally Co. Laois

Our maverick growers – whose inspirational ethos & way of life respects the land & the old ways – pursue flavour over any yield imperative. In our quest to unearth whisky’s most natural flavours, the journey takes us to a more precise destination: the Single Farm Origin of Killone Farm, Co. Laois, where the fertile Elton Series loam soils are tended organically by the Booth family: a uniquely Arcadian terroir nourishing organic Irish single malt whisky.

Appearance: Peach tinted Gold with oils that cling on and don’t let go.

Nose: Fresh hay and newly-malted barley. A reddish tint of fruit – red apple skins and rhubarb. The caramelised sugars on top of a crumble. Some salty dough and minerality. Petrichor. Some vivid green padrón pepper freshness.

Taste: Vibrant and precise, offset by a plump sweetness. Red fruits – cranberries. Victoria plums and nectarines in syrup. A fruity honey and dark chilli chocolate.

Finish: The malty, savoury barley tones return, inviting another sip.

This track starts out at the entrance to the yard. It’s an Autumn day, with the trees just starting to drop their leaves and birds busy all around, seeming to enjoy the fresh breeze. The nearby motorway hums away in the background. We move through the yard, past an old dwelling that nature has reclaimed, and out to the edge of the fields. We stop here for a while before the sky darkens. A shower passes through, so we take shelter under one of the sheds in the yard. As the rain eases off the birds are back in song. The last of the rainwater drains off through an old metal pipe.