Ireland’s Waterford Distillery, producer of natural whiskies, has announced the launch of Cuvée: Argot, a permanent addition to its single malt whisky range and accompanying Cuvée Concept.

Launching from 1st March, Cuvée: Argot is the distillery’s first permanent global bottling, marking a more accessible entry point to the world of Waterford Whisky.

Cuvée: Argot – pronounced “ar-go” – , is created as a vibrant, enthusiastic bottling, bringing together several of Waterford Whisky’s Single Farm Origins adding depth and ultimate complexity, with a hint of true Irish peat following the success of the distillery’s bottlings of Ballybannon and Fenniscourt launched last year – the first whiskies to use real Irish peat for generations.

Waterford Whisky’s Cuvée Concept, inspired by the legendary châteaux of France, is the first of its kind in the single malt whisky industry. By harvesting, distilling and maturing Irish barley farm by farm, each with its own distinct terroir-derived flavour profile, the Cuvée: Argot’s complexity combines a number of distinct Single Farm Origins – each one a unique whisky in its own right – to create a signature bottling from the distillery.

Full transparency and traceability of the Cuvée: Argot is accessible by its game-changing TÉIREOIR code. Utilising pioneering technology, drinkers have full access to how the barley was harvested, stored, malted, and distilled – ensuring the diligence and veracity of each Single Farm Origin.

Mark Reynier, Waterford Distillery Founder and CEO, says:

“We are delighted to introduce the Cuvée: Argot as part of our continued quest to uncover whisky’s most natural flavours. At Waterford Distillery, our view is rather than a manufactured product, Waterford Whisky is an agricultural produce. It’s of the land; our reverence for its raw material, barley. And Argot is our introduction to that Waterford Whisky world.

“On the one hand we can express barley by letting Ireland’s farmlands do the talking via our Single Farm Origins; or as in this case, with ultimate creativity, we can bring these flavours, those barley ingredients together for ultimate harmony and complexity in the same way as Bordeaux Grand Vin and Champagne Grand Marques.

“With this new addition to our ever-growing collection of bottlings, Argot is a refreshing, more accessible bottling for whisky lovers and flavour enthusiasts to experience our Cuvée Concepts.”

Tasting Notes by Ned Gahan, Head Distiller at Waterford Distillery:

Cuvée: Argot is matured fully in a mixture of 37% first-fill US Oak, 19% Virgin US oak, 19% Premium French Oak and 23% Vin Doux Naturel.

The whisky has aromas of orange peel, almonds stewed apple, bread crust, green foliage, mixed berries, fennel and white chocolate, with the flavours of bell peppers, granola, grapefruit, smokey barbecue, banana milkshake, green apple skin – the finish is long, warming, peppery and dry.

Cuvée: Argot will be available at waterfordwhisky.com from mid-March, and worldwide at key retailers as a permanent listing, priced at €59.90, £54.99 and US$59.95 respectively.