Waterford Heritage Hunter 1.1 Irish Whiskey
In stock
Hunter, named after pioneering plant breeder Dr Herbert Hunter, was introduced in 1959 and was for almost two decades noted for its distinctive flavour. We now reintroduce this game-changing barley to a new era of single malt connoisseurs. Vanished from the Irish landscape since the late 1970s, superceded by more economically rewarding crosses, all that remained of Hunter was a 50 gram bag in the seed bank of the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine.
Planted in greenhouse grow bags, this 50 grams grew to four kilograms, and the cycle went again and again over two years, until there was enough for ten acres at our partner Minch Malt’s test site in Athy. Test successful, Hunter was sown on a commercial scale on the lime-rich Elton series terroir of Donoughmore, yielding 25.5 tonnes of malting barley — enough to fill 50 casks. It is from that first pioneering distillation that this whisky has been drawn.
Product Details
Tasting Notes
Colour
Golden amber with sunlit honey tones and a coppery glow.
Nose
Fresh barley dominates the nose, mingling with sun-kissed citrus and lime zest. A crisp mineral lift from Elton terroir supports honeyed malt, vanilla, and green apple–pear fruit. Subtle almond, brioche, and a whisper of white pepper drift through, finishing with a clean, seaside mineral note that hints at Waterford’s terroir-driven precision.
Palate
A silky, malty palate with lime-touched citrus, green apple and pear, and a whisper of vanilla oak. A mineral brightness lifts the mid-palate, while subtle spice and almond notes linger into a refined, persistent finish.
Finish
Long, crystalline finish with mineral backbone and citrus zest. The lime-rich Donoughmore terroir lingers, carried by honeyed barley sweetness that slowly blooms into soft spice and vanilla. A refined oak echo and gentle warmth extend the palate, leaving a polished, enduring finish.
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