Waterford Bannow Island 1.2 (50%, OB, 2020)

• ABV: 50%
• Age: 4 Years Old
• Bottling: OB
• Category: Irish single malt whiskey
• Cost: £69.95
• Origin: Waterford distillery
• Vintage: 2016

What they say

Part of the second wave of whiskies from Waterford, Bannow Island 1.2 is made using barley grown on the extreme southern coast of County Wexford by Ed Harpur. Aromas of pears, green apples, salted toffee, toasted barley and vanilla on the nose, as well as vanilla, white grapes and white pepper. The palate offers notes of apple crumble, cinnamon, toffee, lime zest and ginger, followed by butterscotch, white grapes and white pepper.

What I say

Dram #4 from Water of Life Society Tasting 104 Unconventional Tasting. Paired with Dram #3 Waterford Sheestown 1.1. Finally a chance to see what all the fuss is about regarding Terroir-driven whiskey.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: White Burgundy (5/20), slow-forming, medium tears and fine legs.
• Nose: Cardboard a little wet, drying linen, some fruity apple and pear, marzipan, frangipane tart/tart tatin, a touch of salt caramel, touch of florality and some oak wood.
• Taste: Quite light and very vaporous on the palate, spicy, lemon zest, ginger, white pepper and chilli flakes, oddly oily and fatty, slightly rancid salted butter, lacking in malt – this feels much more like a grain whisky.
• Finish: Medium, sweet, lemon and cod liver oil

Overall

Salty and oily fish with a dash of lemon juice – not flavours I’m really looking for in a whisky. Whilst Terroir-driven whiskey may be a fantastical experiment/marketing hack to sell Waterford they seriously need to improve their output to tempt me into drinking it again.

Score 66/100

Don’t take my word for it:

The Whiskey Nut reviews Waterford Bannow Island 1.2

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