28/11/2024
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐๐ธ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
For many of us the news that Waterford Distillery (amongst others) has been in difficulty has not been a bolt of lightning from the skies. The sad news that it reached the point on Wednesday that receivers were called in is. To conclude however that this is the end of Waterford Whisky may well be premature.
Mark Reynier never established Waterford Distillery to produce another Irish whiskey, certainly not in the vein we have seen before. From the very onset this was demonstrated by the naming of their whiskey without the much deliberated 'e', or soley double distilling. Mark wanted to produce the best whiskey using the best grains in the world, to bring the worlds of wine and whiskey closer together, and to bond strong links with the farming community. Not shyimg away from controversy and perhaps seen to be drawn to it, Mark has done things his way, and whether you agree or disagree, he stood steadfastly by his convictions. Not ever wanting to be part of the 'gang', Waterford have stood out and done their own thing. Every industry needs a 'rebel', a 'black sheep'.
The word 'terroir' has now reached everyday whiskey vocabularly when at one point one may have never associated it with whiskey. And whether you believe in the influence of terroir or not, that in our view is not the core point. Waterford has brought about one very important and often overlooked factor, that of provenance and traceability. A sense of belonging and sense of working with local farmers.
So what has Waterford Distillery ever done for us?
Traceability
Terroir
Bold and innovative bottling and branding,
Innovative cask usage
In-depth sensory analysis
50% ABV across the board
Cuvรฉes
Championing local farmers
Recognising Irish grain to be the best in the world,
The first fully certified organic Irish whiskeys
The first biodynamic Irish whiskeys
The revival and use of heritage grains
The integration in the local community
All these in a short period of time, and if one may excuse the pun, were going 'against the grain'.
Saying all this, is the whiskey from Waterford the best in class? What does that even mean? Waterford whiskeys are not brash and bold, they are delicate, fruity, multi-layered and complicated. They could be said to be cheeky.
Our thoughts are of course with all the staff, the local businesses supporting the distillery, and the farmng community. The challenges the industry faces at the moment are well known. Perhaps the largest one, and one faced by many distilleries is entry into existing markets, mainly the US, where distribution and the challenges the 3 tier system brings are substantial.
We know that Waterford won't go away without a fight and hope that matters will be resolved. It would be a travesty to see a brand that in such a short period has had such an impact.
Respectfully, whether you agree or not, we would love to hear your thoughts.
