Waterford Gaia: Edition 1.1

Gaia 1.1 is the first certified organic Irish whisky ever released, the opening expression of Waterford's Arcadian Series and a landmark in the wider industry. Certified by the Organic Trust, the whisky uses barley grown by six Irish farmers, Paddy Tobin, Alan Jackson, Pat and Denis Booth, Jason Stanley, Trevor Harris and John Mallick. Because organic malting barley is rare in modern Ireland, yields from individual farms were too small to permit Single Farm Origin treatment, so the harvests were combined into a single batch before distillation. The Arcadian Series exists to showcase barley grown under alternative philosophies including organic, biodynamic and heritage varieties. The TÉIREOIR code on each bottle links to the full record of farms and casks. An outturn of 24,000 bottles was released across more than 25 markets.

Maturation ran in four cask types: 42% first fill American oak, 17% virgin American oak, 23% premium French oak and 18% Vin Doux Naturel. First fill Bourbon contributes vanillin and coconut lactones from the charred inner wood. Virgin American oak adds toasted sugar and sharper lignin derived spice. French oak delivers a finer tannin grain with clove phenolics. The Vin Doux Naturel casks, previously used for fortified sweet wines from southern France, layer in oxidised fruit and honeyed sweetness. Bottled at 50% without chill filtration or added colour.