SHEESTOWN, CO. KILKENNY

Baile an fhasaigh, the ‘place of the lush grass’, is surely a fitting place to grow barley. The Shees clan settled here to the west of the Nore river in the 15th Century. Defined by a geology of limestone and sandstone, Sheestown is a rolling, lowland terroir of well-drained loamy soil with outcrops of gravel and drier hilltops. Philip O’Brien has farmed here for half a century, while his daughter, Maura, works with us at the distillery.

Appearance: Golden with oils that grip the glass like its life depended on it.

Nose: Malty, honey, fruit cake, pears, sherry trifle, cookie dough, a summer hay note, orange peel and an earthy note.

Taste: Spices and clove that gently warms then dries;  blood oranges, honeycomb, barley sugar and ginger.

Finish: Long with a gentle spice and citrus that tingles.

We’re standing at the entrance to the fields in Sheestown. Soon the track moves up along the hedgerows, to a wooded area that skirts around the back of the farm. It’s busy here with birds and later bees. The sound of the barley stirring is always present in the background before the breeze picks up a bit. Then we move into the fields and a little closer to the crop for the rest of the track.