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Waterford
Distillery become the first distillery
to create Irish whisky from biodynamic
barley.
Back in 2016 the innovative folks at
the Waterford Distillery set an industry
milestone when it distilled Ireland’s
first organic whisky. This month they
took organic whisky to a whole new level
when they became the first distillery to
create Irish whisky from biodynamic
barley.
So what exactly is biodynamic barley I
hear you say? Is it a new marketing term
thought up by some PR company, no it is
certainly not. The concept involves a
farm becoming self-sufficient for all
its needs, relying on home-made organic
fertilisers and naturally occurring
plant insecticides.
As our forefathers knew, the
astrological calendar not only predicts
tides but guides planting, growing and
harvesting. Preparations, unusual to us,
such as "horn manure", made from buried,
manure-packed, cow horns, is super
efficacious stimulating microbial
activity in the soil, seed germination
and root development, say adherents;
barking mad, say critics.
Working closely with Minch Maltsters,
the pioneering farmers that answered the
call to grow the biodynamic barley for
the Waterford Distillery were John
McDonnell, Co. Meath; Alan Mooney,
Kilcock, Co. Kildare; and Trevor Harris
from Naas, Co. Kildare.
The distillery received the prestigious
Demeter certification from the
Biodynamic Association, which it holds
alongside its existing certification
from the Organic Trust.
Waterford Distillery CEO, Mark Reynier,
said: "Biodynamics is a farming
philosophy, a way of life. It’s
fascinating to see the world’s greatest
wine makers attracted to this
time-consuming way of running their
farms.
"It started with the fear of losing the
accumulated knowledge of millennia to
the march of the agrochemical industry
last century. It’s about minimal
treatments, ancient homeopathic
remedies, natural fertilisers focused on
enhancing the biodiversity of a
naturally healthy soil.
"It all sounds pretty crazy, it’s easy
to dismiss as cranky tree-hugging
bunkum, but yet it’s funny how the
greatest wines in the world are made
under this unusual regime. Only natural
we should give it a go for our whisky.
As part of our extensive research we
travelled Alsace, to see bioydynamics in
action. So I wanted to extend my thanks
to Olivier Humbrrecht and Jean Paul
Zusslin – as well as to Trevor Harris,
John McDonnell and Alan Mooney for
rising to the challenge when I first
raised the idea in 2015."
Though biodynamic farming methods may
appear eccentric, many of the greatest
wine producers, including the legendary
Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Romanee Conti,
and Chateau Margaux, maintain biodynamic
vineyards.
A new generation of consumers is taking
ever-more interest in the provenance of
their drinks – how and where the
ingredients are grown – which is key to
the Waterford philosophy. The
distillery’s unparalleled production
methods involve distilling barley from
61 individual Irish farms, one a week,
in isolation from field to barrel – with
complete traceability.
Like no other distillery, by celebrating
and exploring the differences in soil,
location and microclimate, or terroir as
it is known, and extolling the virtue of
super-premium wood, both French and
American oak, Waterford Distillery aims
to create the world’s most profound -
and natural - single malt whisky.
The special spirit distilled from
biodynamic barley won’t be bottled for
several years, but the distillery’s
first whiskies are on the horizon.
Waterford Distillery does not source
spirit from other producers to be used
in its products.
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