Well I’ve finally given in to the hype.
Much has been written about Waterford Distillery.
Early on I decided not to bother with the auctions, inflated prices & general Hoorah! around this brand – until it arrived in my local O’Brien’s – which it did – tonite.

There were 2 bottles, Ballykilcavan & Bannow Island, 1.2 editions.
I chose Bannow.
Tales of Norman invaders, soil content & provenance don’t particularly excite me – taste does. So I didn’t bother looking up the minutiae & poured myself a glass.

Golden brown colour with thick legs.
Quite a soft, subtle sweet malt biscuity nose.
Smooth & dry on the palate.
The dryness develops a bit of a fresh young malt bite – then fades rather quickly.
This is quite a young & aggressive malt.

For me Bannow 1.2 is more about the hype than content.
It needs a few more years in the barrel.
Sláinte
