A look at the Waterford Distillery

let’s begin

Under the leadership of the innovator behind Islay’s Bruichladdich Distillery, it is hardly surprising that the new Waterford Distillery is on the cutting edge of Whiskey innovation.

Mark Reynier, who started Bruichladdich in 2000 and turned it into one of the most enterprising distilleries in Scotland, has taken on Waterford after buying it from Diageo, who used it to brew Guinness.

He has transformed it into a working distillery and it is set to take the Irish Whiskey market by storm.

It couldn’t come at a better time, considering the huge boom in sales that the market is seeing at the current time.

Waterford Barley

Waterford Distillery is based on the south-eastern coast of Ireland, where Reynier claims the best barley in the world is grown.

This is a claim that can be backed up simply from Reynier’s history. During his time at Bruichladdich he was especially interested in how certain types of barley effected the flavour of Whiskey.

With Waterford’s first Whiskey run occurring in January 2016, it won’t be long until the public has the chance to see for themselves.

In the meantime however they will have to make do with watching the building of the distillery’s new warehouse or taking a look inside the still house, both of which can be viewed from live webcams on the distillery’s website.

The Chance to Know the Product

The website also gives a complete breakdown of every “element” that is needed to produce great Whiskey. This kind of transparency is nothing new to Reynier’s endeavours, as he is known for giving the consumer as much detail as possible about the product.

This extends as far as detailing the very farms that the barley is grown on, including videos of many of the farmers discussing their farming history and a map showing where the farms are in relation to the distillery.

This is an extraordinary moment in distilling history as it opens up the very basics of Whiskey making to the public and allows the consumer to fully embrace he product, knowing everything about it and how that affects the flavour.

The Whiskey that comes out of Waterford Distillery is bound to be brilliant, if Reynier’s past is anything to go by, and consumers will be able to fully interact with it.

What Makes Waterford Different?

Waterford does not condescend to the consumer and assume that they either are not interested or cannot understand the complexities of Whiskey flavours, but rather encourages them to know as much as possible and provides the maximum amount of information needed the product to be wholly enjoyed.

At the moment Waterford can produce 1 million litres of spirit a year and hope to increase this to 5 million in the next few years. With expansion already in mind, Reynier must have confidence in his product.

But with a track record of amazing success as well as the high quality ingredients and passion at Waterford, it would be surprising if he didn’t have such confidence.

Tags: Bruichladdich DistilleryDiageoirelandMark ReynierScotlandWaterford Distillery

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.