Waterford Broomlands: Edition 1.2

Broomlands 1.2 is the second release from Mark Brown's farm near Enniscorthy in the south east corner of Ireland, home to the Brown family's 18th century farmhouse. The land sits on heavy, clay rich soils that retain moisture well, producing a highly fertile terroir close to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The barley was harvested in 2015 and distilled in October 2016. An outturn of 10,000 bottles was produced after three years, eight months and ten days of maturation. Every bottle carries the TÉIREOIR code linking to the specific field, soil analysis and cask records.

Maturation used an unusual cask profile: 34% first fill American oak, 18% virgin American oak, 28% French oak and 20% Vin Doux Naturel casks previously used to hold Madeira and Sauternes. First fill Bourbon contributes vanillin and coconut lactones through the charred inner wood. Virgin American oak adds toasted sugar and raw lignin derived spice. French oak delivers finer grained tannins with clove phenolics. The Madeira component brings oxidative fortified wine notes with burnt caramel and dried fruit, while Sauternes contributes the distinctive honeyed apricot character of botrytised sweet wine. Bottled at 50% without chill filtration or added colour.

The nose shows green apple, quince, apricot, vanilla and caramel with a subtle leathery edge. The palate brings bright fruit, lemon zest, anise and measured cask spice.