Waterford Ballykilcavan Edition 1.1

This is my favorite of the single farm releases for the European market that I’ve tried. Like many of the others, the nose transports you to an Irish dairy farm smelling of cream and damp hay. You can smell the soil on this one too and a pleasant hint of sulphur. The palate is creamy with a hint of saline — a salty lassi, I guess — while the finish takes a turn to sour fruit chews. The malted barley shines throughout. This wasn’t the most popular of the European releases, but for my money it’s the most interesting and the one I’d want to return to alongside the Gaia. Probably sold out in its 1.1 iteration, but keep an eye out for its sequel.

Nose: Amaretto LOL, apples, walnuts, white pepper, apricots. Mouth: Fresh, Light, very slight spices growing exponantially, orange marmelade, very different from the nose. Vegetal, mineral, very earthy, great example of terroir and a halfsecond taste of fruits. Very quick. Final: very easy on the tongue with a pepper kick and some slight fruits in the midway. This recipe could be VERY interesting with a different barrel. I will follow up for sure.

Great for an Irish. High notes