Tuesday 21st April, 2020

Site visit: Waterford Distillery

The MBAAI South East Chapter, in collaboration with the WIT Graduate Business School, recently hosted a visit to the Waterford Distillery facility located at the converted former Guinness Brewery building. Head Distiller Ned Gahan facilitated the group on the day.

Waterford Distillery was established five years ago by entrepreneur and third-generation wine merchant Mark Reynier. Mark has already proved that he can bring a successful whiskey brand to the market – he founded the Bruichladdich Scottish whiskey company in 2000 and sold it 12 years later to Remy Cointreau for £58 million. In 2014, he took up the challenge again, this time in Ireland, buying the former Guinness brewery in Waterford and renaming it the Waterford Distillery. The distillery works with 72 Irish farms, all located in the same region as the distillery. In total the barley is grown in 19 different soil types.

Waterford Distillery will release its first official whiskies in pairs this year. As a result, drinkers will be able to compare and contrast whiskies from different farms. Two will arrive in the spring and two in the autumn. Each of the four are single farm whiskies made from the same barley and cask composition. They will be of a similar age.