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Reynier: Battle on for the ‘soul of Irish whiskey’

There is currently a “battle for the soul of Irish whiskey”, with some producers looking to Scotch for inspiration and others to Bourbon, according to Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier.

Mark Reynier believes there is a “battle for the soul” of Irish whiskey

The comments were made as Reynier, former managing director of Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery, starts production at his new Waterford Distillery, based in a transformed Guinness brewery.

Operated under Reynier’s Renegade Spirits, the distillery is located in the port of Waterford in South East Ireland.

Earlier this month, the distillery – which will focus on single malt production and will innovate with barley and, eventually, yeast – celebrated its first trial spirit run. At the time, Reynier revealed plans to make the “most profound” Irish whiskey in the industry.

“It’s like the Wild West here,” Reynier said in an interview with The Spirits Business. “For 30 or 40 years there has been a monopoly with Jameson. Cooley broke this and William Grant has come along with Tullamore Dew. So all of a sudden, the big whiskey companies are in situ. This is interesting and should shake things up a bit.”

Of the direction of the category, Reynier said: “There is a battle for the soul of Irish whiskey at the moment. One group is leaning towards Bourbon and the other is leaning towards Scotch.”

Waterford Distillery will not create any white spirits to fund production of its core whiskey, and also has no plans to act as a third party producer, despite having the ability to produce grain liquid.

Of the pertinence of third party production in the industry, Reynier said: “I do think there will be a bit of a fall out from this. I am here to do my own thing and other people can make Irish whiskey how they want to make it. The freedom to do this is quite refreshing.

“Consumers have had the wool pulled over their eyes for a long time. We are unplugged, and it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s mine.”

Of the recent transparency debate in the Scotch whisky industry, Reynier said that while Scotch producers hold “moral superiority” in whisky due to their strict production and disclosure requirements, other sectors might usurp this.

“Scotland has a moral superiority that other spirits categories envy, but if producers let this slacken, then others will jump in there. In Ireland they do not have the moral position, but if Scotland vacates it…

“It’s something that is very easily lost and hard won. They are going to throw the baby out with the bathwater if they are not careful.”

Reynier also said that he was “sceptical” of a recent plan by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) for Irish whiskey to achieve 300% market share growth by 2030. “[This is] coming from a very low level because 70% of Irish whiskey is Jameson,” he said.

Waterford Distillery has commenced production just 53 weeks after Reynier and a team of investors acquired the former Guinness brewery. Set to full operational by 2016, Waterford will create single malt whiskey with “unprecedented” barley traceability.

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