Feb 7, 2021
Waterford Distillery Founder Mark Reynier has spent the last 5 years telling everyone who’ll listen (and even those who won’t) that he believes there’s an alternative to how whiskey has been made for generations. He believes there’s a better way and that mass production and a focus on yield has replaced a focus on flavour. He has strong opinions and firmly held beliefs and he’s betting the farm, many farms in fact, on these opinions being true and ultimately that they’ll matter to the whisky drinker who purchases a bottle of Waterford Whisky.
Central to his approach is the concept of Terroir - a french term used to describe how a particular place’s climate, soils and terrain affect the taste of a crop and consequently the product it becomes an ingredient of.
Is all this talk of Terroir just hype? Is it a marketing stunt? It may be universally accepted in France but can it translate to the world of whisky production? Why are so many people arguing about its very existence?
It’s a topic that has divided whiskey makers, drinkers and anyone with even a passing interest in the world of whisky production.
My name is Barry Chandler, an Irish whiskey enthusiast and I’ve been fascinated by Waterford Distillery’s approach and beliefs since first visiting the distillery in late 2019. In this podcast series I’m going to dive deep into the world of Terroir and one distillery’s journey to not just make a whisky inspired by it, but to prove, scientifically, and beyond doubt, that it exists.
Each episode you’ll hear from distillers, scientists, growers, and whisk(e)y drinkers. They’ll share their opinions and perspectives so that you get to make your own mind up about whether Waterford Distillery’s approach matters to you.