Téireoir in Irish Whiskey? A review of Waterford Sheestown 1.2 Single Malt

[@DarkCloudWhisky]

Awesome episode yet again, I will start by saying i absolutely adore the Causeway and hope we see more of them in the future. Now....Waterford. I understand it can be polarizing to some. However, its literally doing and showcasing exactly what it set out to do. It shows that when all other variables are kept constant (they even keep the cask types and ratios the same) and only the farm location is changed that there are vast differences in taste. Anyone trying to judge the entire Waterford project based on only one or two of the single farm releases is going to miss the boat. I've been lucky enough to have tried every release from Waterford that has come to Alberta. One tasted straight up like drinking it sitting in a damp hay pile right next to the barn where animals are housed while the other release that arrived at the same time was the very typical Irish flavour profile. I was also lucky enough to go to the tasting put on by Mark Reynier when he came through town. If he ever makes it back I would not miss it. The cuvee release may be one to grab as it is an annual release blending all of that years single farm releases together.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

It is good to know they keep the same ratios and cask types. I also wish they put out an ex-bourgon only release for each farm. It would help people with simpler palates like mine to truely catch the differences! Also, I like the damp hay, in the barn note I get with some young Malts. Brings back childhood memories. I did not grow up on a farm, but lived every summer at my cousins.

[@Ben_Demon_Hunter]

​@WhiskyNeighbour Opening the Causeway Cognac tomorrow- 17th/ Saint Patrick's Day & am even MORE excited, after watching your video! Thank you, Jon & Slàinte 🥃

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

@@Ben_Demon_Hunter Hope you enjoy it like I do! Happy Early St. Patrick's!!

[@WhiskeyStraightAl]

Very interesting comparison Jon. Never had either of these, though I do have a Waterford Sample. Cheers.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I think you would enjoy the Bushmill’s Causeway a fair amount. Good whiskey!!

[@WhiskeyStraightAl]

@@WhiskyNeighbour I have a sample.Maybe a Paddy's Day pour!

[@richardagnew4959]

I've had the Waterford Cuvee and enjoyed it. The geekery is fun to dive into, but as you say, high prices. The Bushmills Causeway 10 must be a Canada release. Can't find it in the UK at all. It's a good one indeed. I'd buy it again and again. I wish Bushmills would stop fiddling around with their core range and do more like this! Thanks for taking a look at all thing Irish.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Odd you can't get the Causeway, but glad you have had it. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@artvandelay3922]

There's a number of Causeway releases- but the website I found to be terrible, if you were collecting you'd have no idea how many there were.

[@Ben_Demon_Hunter]

Available in my city in 2 different places- $85 & I got it for $72

[@604jroe]

I reached for my Waterford Luna 1.1 tonight, and ended up here. I don't know how Luna compares to Sheestown, but this Luna sure is distinct. I think it's the most expensive bottle I own, as I'm pretty resistant to spending more than the low 100's (Canadian). It's very interesting. Worth exploring.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Thank you for sharing your insight. I have not had the Luna yet, but I do find these Waterford experessions very interesting. Cheers!

[@allenbt11]

Interesting episode. And I do not mean to downplay the quality of the Waterford. I am sure it was terrific and I look forward to trying it at some point. But I do not understand what the value of the Teireoir information is, other than as extra trivia for the Whiskey Nerd. OK, interesting academically, but these are relatively small farms with very limited production. Enough grain for a few expression each year, it seems, if that. Note, I am not arguing it doesn't have an influence, but in products like the Waterford series that celebrate batch to batch variation, how do you isolate the grain sourcing from all of the other production factors, especially in something with relatively complicated casking like this used. It seems like a lot of variables with far greater impact are going into this expression, and a little off that they are focusing on what may be a relatively small factor. Anyway, Cheers!

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

I am not sure how much impact year over year here, but as you said, very fun Trivia and watching the family talk about the farm was certainly interesting. With so many cask variety in the mix too, I doubt I could tell year over year, or even this compared to another farm. If they had just done virgin oak or maybe all ex-Bourbon from the same distillery maybe. Maybe. Thanks for your thoughts!

[@DarkCloudWhisky]

@@WhiskyNeighbour the casking being used is the same ratios for all the single farm releases, so the only difference is in fact the terroir of the barley grain

[@hordeum-vulgare]

Hi Jon. The Waterford Project is polarising: Ralfy, for one, doesn't care for it. And I can see how it is fetishising the terroire claims. However, I find the barley farminess - multi-casking notwithstanding - just captivating. Having said that, it doesn't come across as at all Irish. It's its own thing.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

For me, I do love the insight into how this comes together. I would also agree it is it's own thing. I hope I get a few more expressions so I can compare them. Cheers!

[@Whiskyfan519]

First impression of it was a big let down. Half the battle was opening the bottle. Nose: stinky dusty cereal grain, taste: better, nutty sweetness, little bit of apples, tastes more like a lower tier scotch than an Irish. I really wanted to like it, I like the whole idea of farm specific releases but honestly at the end of the day it's alot of fluff and stuff. Way overpriced as well. Would need to spend a bit more time with it but this is a mid 70 whisky for me. It's honestly my most disappointing purchase in my collection.

[@WhiskyNeighbour]

Honest comments, and thank you for sharing. I would agree it is dusty or grainy. That said, I clearly enjoyed it more than you did. I hope I can get a few other bottles to compare it to to see if any of these young releases are better. Take care!