Waterford Ballymorgan 1.1 (2020)
I haven’t posted anything on Waterford Distillery in three months, even though I’ve a few samples from them to be reviewed. So I suppose it’s time to dive back into the terroir-driven world that Mark Reynier has carefully cultivated in the south-east of Ireland. Most people have probably moved on the the 1.2 versions of the distillery’s Single Farm Origin series, but things don’t move as fast here at Words of Whisky HQ. Instead, we’ll take a closer look at the Waterford Ballymorgan 1.1.
Ballymorgan is Robert Milne’s farm, which he works with his son and nephew. Five generations of his family have farmed their fields, with it’s distinctive clay soil derived from slate and granite. The barley for the Ballymorgan 1.1 was harvested in September 2015 and distilled the following year. The variety is Overture and a lengthy 136 hours were spent on fermentation. As always, a veriety of first-fill bourbon, virgin American oak, premium French and Vin Doux Natural casks were used. Check out this link for more insight into this Irish single malt whisky.
Waterford Ballymorgan 1.1 (50%, OB, 2020)
Nose: An attractive malty, rye bread-like introduction with some clear yet subtle red wine influences, touches of red herbs, and red apple skin as well. Agreeable but not very expressive.
Taste: Creamy, spicy and somewhat vegetal. Faint notes of soft vanilla, ripe apples and apple compote as well, but white pepper, freshly cut grass and barley husks prevail.
Finish: A touch of processed sugar, but mostly malty with a touch of spicy heat. Finally some more apple compote.
Score: 81
My least favourite whisky from Waterford so far, mainly because I find it lacking on the palate. I’m fond of the malty nose (I do like traditional genever after all), but overall it can’t quite keep up with some of the standouts I’ve tasted from Waterford so far.
Sample provided by Waterford
Photo: Master of Malt
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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