Waterford Irish Whiskey

Waterford Irish Whisky is one of the most innovative and talked-about new distilleries in the world, redefining the conversation around terroir in whisky. Founded in 2015 by Mark Reynier, the former Bruichladdich CEO renowned for reviving that Islay distillery, Waterford takes a radical approach by applying wine-world principles of provenance, single-farm sourcing, and vintage bottlings to Irish single malt whisky.

A Distillery Built for Precision

Located in Waterford city on Ireland’s southeast coast, the distillery occupies a converted Guinness brewery, offering state-of-the-art equipment and exceptional efficiency. The brewery’s original set-up, designed for producing high-quality beer, provided the perfect foundation for Reynier’s vision of crafting whisky with an obsessive focus on raw ingredients.

The Terroir-Driven Philosophy

Waterford’s central belief is that where the barley is grown profoundly influences the flavour of the whisky. To explore this, the distillery sources 100% Irish barley from dozens of individual farms across the country. Each farm’s barley is harvested, malted, distilled, and matured separately to preserve its unique character.

These single-farm whiskies are bottled individually or married together into “Cuvée” expressions, echoing the blending artistry of fine wine. The distillery even works with heritage barley varieties and organic farms to explore further dimensions of flavour.

Production Details

Waterford uses:
• Extended fermentation times - over 120 hours to develop complex flavours.
• Slow distillation - in custom-built copper pot stills to preserve delicate aromas.
• Full traceability - every bottle can be traced back to the farm, field, and harvest from which its barley came.

Maturation takes place in a diverse range of casks, including:
• First-fill American oak bourbon barrels.
• French oak casks from premium wine estates.
• Vin doux naturel casks for a touch of fortified wine sweetness.

The Waterford Range
• Single Farm Origin - individual farm bottlings, each labelled with the farm name and year, offering drinkers a chance to taste the difference terroir makes.
• Cuvée - blends of multiple Single Farm Origins, carefully composed to create layered, complex flavour profiles.
• Arcadian Series - featuring organic, biodynamic, and heritage grain whiskies that push the boundaries of Irish whisky-making.

Why Waterford Stands Out

In a category often dominated by blended Irish whiskey, Waterford offers transparency, detail, and individuality rarely seen elsewhere. Every label and website entry comes with a “TÉIREOIR CODE” - a scannable reference giving drinkers access to in-depth data on the farm, harvest, and production.

Our Selection

Our Waterford Irish Whisky range showcases both the Single Farm Origin bottlings for terroir exploration and the Cuvée releases for a broader, layered experience. Whether you’re an Irish whiskey fan seeking something new or a Scotch drinker curious about barley’s true influence, Waterford offers one of the most compelling journeys in modern whisky.