Ode to ‘the perfect whiskey’

(Editor’s note: Although Waterford Whisky is spelled without the “e,” the preferred American English spelling is with the “e.”) 

Most wine folks know the term “terroir” and its ineffable effect on the resultant wine. Altitude, latitude, prevailing winds, soil types, sun exposure and diurnal temperature swings all contribute to the development of the grape and the wine it produces. Certain wine regions of the world,
(think Bordeaux and Burgundy), have historically grown their fruit properly, limiting a vine’s yield to enhance the flavor and the nuance of the grapes. Other areas outside these prime growing areas thought quantity rather than quality was the primary goal, as their wines were used for quaffing or blending with another region’s wines. When the former Soviet Union annexed and absorbed countries, farmers were paid for volume, not flavor, and the wines these grapes made were insipid and uninteresting.  

Well, I just tasted what might be the perfect whiskey – one that is all about terroir, too. A friend suggested I taste Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky, Heritage Hunter, and the flavors are profound with a velvety mouthfeel, light vanilla notes, fine black pepper, dried fruits, cloves and orange zest – simply delicious. On each bottle is a Teireoir (sic) Code that can be entered on www.Waterfordwhisky.com to understand the company’s mission. (The code on this bottle is HE01E01-01 for the curious whiskey-phile.) Listening to the lilting Irish accents passionately describing what they are doing makes me want to pour a dram.  

Mark Reynier bought the property in 2014 and created the Waterford distillery within a year. He had previously worked at and developed the Islay distillery Bruichladdich in Scotland. His team thought all the barley strains in use for whiskey production today were developed for high volume yield and either flavor became secondary, or flavor was enhanced by subsequent in-house manipulation. The group visited the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine where a vast seed collection was curated and available. The team grew 25 grams of barley seed (less than an ounce) in a hothouse and harvested the seed and did it again and again until it had propagated enough seed to plant a field. The team also asked the department if it had any other barley seeds no longer in production, of which there were many, some of which are in developmental production by Waterford now.  

Most barley field crops for whiskey production yield about four tons of barley per acre. Heritage Hunter’s barley yield is one ton per acre so it’s clear this is a boutique Irish whiskey. Tom Bryan, chief agronomist of Waterford Whisky, calls it “Jurassic Barley,” as it was revived from history and said, “The Hunter barley seeds in this location produce a nuttier and wonderful whiskey.” 

The Waterford Whisky Heritage Hunter comes in a robust dark-blue glass bottle with a yellow label that gets your attention. It is also bottled at 50% alcohol by volume (ABV), so it should last a wee bit longer. I tasted it straight with a couple of cubes, which I gave a few seconds to soften the alcohol. A couple of ice cubes or a drop or two of water in whiskey will release some volatile esters and make for a profoundly enhanced, smoother flavor. And, of course, you could use it in any number of cocktails, but why would you? Heritage Hunter retails north of $100 a bottle. It is a special occasion bottle to savor. Or it’s a perfect present for that special whiskey person in your life. This gift would never be forgotten.  

Reach Doug at doug@dougpaulding.com.