It's the first batch of single malt barley for Waterford Sheestown 1.1 is grown just outside the historic town of Kilkenny on an undulating, well-drained, lowland terroir predominantly derived from limestone, by Phil O’Brien, father of one of the distillery workers. Bottled at 50% ABV without colouring, chill-filtration or any additives. Located in the former Guinness Brewery on the banks of the River Suir, Waterford Distillery was founded in 2015 and has built a reputation for crafting whiskeys with an emphasis on ‘Terroir’ and the geographical sourcing of individual batches of barley. The distillery is the brainchild of Mark Reynier who was famously responsible for the resurrection of Bruichladdich distillery on Islay in Scotland. The pot stills at Waterford were originally part of the Inverleven Distillery on Clydeside and had been rescued by Mark just in case he found a use for them in the future. Additionally there is some hi-tech kit at the distillery including a mash filter and other state of the art equipment. Bottlings feature an emphasis on barley and its origins and the distillery uses a mix of casks for maturation including American oak and various types of French oak.