Are you curious about the origins of Whisky's natural flavour?

Enter your email address for articles & updates - & to hear about new Waterford Whiskies.

IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF MATURATION. BY ENTERING YOU NOT ONLY ACCEPT OUR INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE, BUT ALSO
THE USE OF COOKIES & INFORMATION COLLECTION TO ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Are you legally old enough
(and sufficiently curious)
to enjoy terroir-driven whisky?

Key Facts

GROWER Ger Kelly
FARM Wilkinstown
EDITION 1.1
HARVESTED 6 September 2015
DISTILLED Week 46 2016
Maturation 3 YEARS, 11 MONTHS, 2 DAYS
ABV 50%
No. of Bottles 5,000
For Market Netherlands
Bottled February 2021

Wilkinstown, Co. Wexford

Three miles west of Wexford town, near the mouth of the River Slaney, is the site of an ancient motte & bailey castle & graveyard. Here third-generation grower Ger Kelly farms on flat, estuarine land ameliorated by its maritime microclimate. The moisture retentive, clay-rich loam derived from Ordovician shale is the highly productive Clonroche series.

The Sound of Wilkinstown

A snowy Winter’s day at Wilkinstown. This track starts out on the hill above the farm where a woodland meets an open ploughed field. Traffic passes in the distance and, as the wind picks up it brings a heavy snow shower. Moving down the hill, we stop by a hedgerow as the last of the shower falls on the gorse and brambles. Further down we pass by a stream that splits the fields. As it heads south, there’s more shelter on offer, and the birds are busier as a tractor works in a field nearby. Leaving the stream behind we reach the yard at the bottom of the hill. Birds are flying in and around one of the open sheds. There’s cattle feeding across the yard. The snow melts off of the roof and drips down onto the ground by the door. No effects or external audio used, just the pure sounds captured on the day with the place and the weather dictating the flow of the track.

BARLEY TIMELINES

SOWN 23 March 2015
HARVESTED 6 September 2015
Arrived at Cathedral 7 September 2015
Went to Maltings 11 October 2016
Arrived at Distillery 3 November 2016
Fermentation Started 10 November 2016
Distillation Started 15 November 2016
Distillation Finished 22 November 2016
Filled at Warehouse 28 November 2016
Marriage of Casks 30 October 2020
Sent for Bottling 14 February 2021

TERROIR

FIELDS
SOIL
series Clonroche Association
type Brown Earth
pdf Clonroche Association
description Fine, loamy drift with siliceous stones, Clonroche Association (Clonroche, Ballylanders, Kilrush, Dunboyne, Kilpierce, Moord, Cupidstownhill, Glantane, Duarrigle, Knockroe)
elevation 330 - 360 FEET
sunlight AVERAGE 6 - 6.5 hours

BARLEY, YEAST & WATER

VARIETY Taberna
Yeast Mauri Distiller's Yeast
Production Water Volcanic Aquifer
Fermentation 121 Hours

Head Distiller's Observations

Appearance: Yellow gold with legs of lusciousness.

Nose: Brown sugar, coffee bean, liquorice, honey, malt, sage, worn leather, banoffee pie, dried flower, green vegetation, red apple, coconut, lavender and a dryness on the nose.

Taste: Clove, pear tartan, allspice, fennel, ginger biscuits, barley sugar, grapefruit, stewing apples, blackberries, homemade custard.

Finish: Long spice tingle that dries into warm sweetness.

WOOD

cask no. cask type cask fill cooperage fill date farm
7011 U.S. First Fill 197.08 Heaven Hill 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
7012 U.S. First Fill 197.91 Heaven Hill 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
7013 U.S. First Fill 198.88 Heaven Hill 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
7014 U.S. First Fill 201.44 Heaven Hill 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5349 U.S. Virgin 196.91 Kelvin Cooperage 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5350 U.S. Virgin 198.55 Kelvin Cooperage 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5351 U.S. Virgin 202.23 Kelvin Cooperage 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5937 French 223.8 Margaux 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5938 French 229.94 Margaux 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
5939 French 222.57 Margaux 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
3300 Vin Doux Naturel 309.2 Maderes 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown
3301 Vin Doux Naturel 304.98 Maderes 28 November 2016 WilkinstownWilkinstown
3302 Vin Doux Naturel 304.27 Maderes 28 November 2016 Wilkinstown

Composition

25% FIRST FILL U.S.
20% VIRGIN U.S.
24% PREMIUM FRENCH
31% VIN DOUX NATUREL