BROOMLANDS, CO. WEXFORD

The Brownes’ imposting 18th Century farmhouse at Broomlands, just north of Monart Spa and south of Castle Ellis Church, overlooks the Urrin river valley west of Enniscorthy in the very south eastern corner of Ireland – with the Atlantic coast to the south and the Irish Sea to the east. Standing on a bedrock of Ordovician shale and mica shifts, the Clonroche soil – clay-rich and moisture retentive – makes a most productive terroir.

In 1855, Broomlands was hailed as ‘a highly productive and beautifully situated farm’ by the Dublin Daily Express. A recent family member was John Browne (d. 2005), who served as a radio officer with the Merchant Navy for seven years and went on to explore the jungles of South America, as well as extensive travels in the Sahara, Egypt, China and India.

The Broomlands editions are made to be available from the distillery itself, either online or direct.

Appearance: Deep gold with oily legs that look like the line-up for the Riverdance finale.

Nose: Toffee, fudge, green apple, apricot jam, citrus zest, worn leather, barnyard notes, dark chocolate and malted biscuits.

Taste: Dried spices with oiliness that wraps around your tongue; and lemon sherbet.

Finish: Dry with gentle spice that lasts (and makes me lick my lips).

We begin in the yard, just by the farmhouse. It’s a warm, sunny spring day; leaves blow along the ground, carried on the breeze. There’s a rookery over to the left, towards the back of the yard, and a bird singing in the trees to the right. From the yard we move out into the fields. In some of the fields, they’ve started preparing the ground for this year’s barley. The place is alive with wildlife. The first bees are about and all the farms nearby are bustling with activity in the dry weather. We go full circle and head back towards the yard; on the way there’s an area being cleared and the cuttings are burning on a fire.