Waterford – Ballykilcavan

You wait patiently for 3 years, soaking up all the marvellous info thrown at us and then the whisky releases come like busses, all at once.. The latest opportunity to taste the delights of Irish whiskey that Waterford have to throw at me ( I say throw, obviously they have not sent me these samples, as they did not see me as the right sort of blogger to be reviewing their whisky.. Go figure that one ) Anyhow.. Back on track. so far the liquids I have tasted have been interesting to say the least, the new make showed some great promise, there was no doubting there is quality being produced but the actual whisky certainly left a bitter taste, I know I wasn’t alone in that thought but that still didn’t stop me from being singled out and ridiculed, never mind..

So, Waterford, what more can i say about them that has not already surfaced.. Not a lot to be honest, The guys that actually make the liquid show some real passion and that has been very evident in the discussions I’ve had with a few of them, passion is certainly one of those ingredients that go un-noticed in whisky, some like to accuse those of making the whisky that passion is lacking but believe me, anyone who makes whisky is making it with a passion, a real yearning to make the best dam liquid they can.. Its not rocket science here folks its pride !! We all have it, we all show it at times and we all want to be able to say with pride that something we have, made or whatever shows off our pride / passion..

Ballykilcavan – Waterford

Distillery.. Waterford

Region.. Ireland

Abv.. 50%

Barley strain.. Taberna

Soil.. Fine loam

Casks.. American Oak, Virgin Oak, French Oak and VDN

Nose.. That youthfulness leads nicely into a clean floral and freshly cut damp grass note,  citrus peels, fresh berries, digestive biscuits, freshly peeled apples and just a hint of pineapple round off this rather inviting nose..

Palate.. Hmmm, ok, firstly there is an abundance of malty notes quickly followed by a grassy, floral type of flavour with a citrus bitterness being very evident, plenty of peppery prickle. Those summer berries do show up on the palate along with a bowl full of fresh fruits and even a hint of dried fruits lurk cowardly in the background..

Finish.. Drying but sprightly

Thoughts.. Firstly this is far better than the Ratheadon ( review HERE.. ) This shows far more promise and balance, there is a greater structure and complexity to this whisky.. What I have noticed with the 3 waterford expressions I have tried is that the dominant flavours disperse far quicker than id expect, they just seem to evaporate.. Luckily though, there are enough underlying flavours to take their place..

If you still have any doubt that Waterford is producing good liquid then try this one.. Ignore the marketing tools, its all about the whisky !!