Waterford Gaia Organic Single Malt Irish Whisky, Ireland

A lovely new-style, organic Irish Whiskey from a Spirit Industry legend lets you taste the amber waves of grain.

Mark Reynier is one of the few living legends of both Whisky and Whiskey. He’s worked in Wine & Spirits since 1980. In 1996 he was a co-founder of independent bottler Murray David. In 2000 they purchased the dormant Bruichladdich Distillery and as CEO Mark returned it to unquestioned greatness. In 2012 the founders and investors voted to sell both operations to Rémy Cointreau Group — Mark was the lone dissenting vote. And while he might have taken his share of the millions and retired in comfort, he immediately turned around and purchased a facility from Diageo in Waterford, Ireland, and began distilling in 2015. This is his new passion — The Waterford Distillery. Here he and his team produce a range of fine Irish Whiskies.

Waterford Organic Gaia 1.1 is the first release in their new Arcadian Series. It is the first Irish Whisky certified organic by the Organic Trust. And that commitment begins on the farm with six local farmers providing the barley. Organic farming has a lower yield, but allows the terroir to be present in the Spirit. The barley is malted on site, fermented and distilled in their new copper-pot facility. Then the Spirit is aged in 42% first-fill Bourbon casks, 17% virgin American oak, 18% Vin Doux Naturel Wine casks, and 23% French oak for three years, nine months, and twenty days. The combination is astounding on the palate at 50% ABV with no additives nor chill-filtration.

Smartass Corner:
"Gaia" is the name for the "Mother Earth Goddess" in Greek Mythology. This makes it a spot-on name for an organic Whiskey, don’t you think?