Tipperary Whiskey Introduction | Belfast Whiskey Week 2021

Name: Belfast Whiskey Week 2026
Start: 2026-07-24
End: 2026-08-01
Location: Belfast

Filed: 23 Jul 2021
By: Belfast Whiskey Week
Read: 3 min
Format: Online Tasting
Ref: BWW/21/524

On a Friday afternoon in July 2021, Belfast Whiskey Week turned its gaze southward to the fertile fields of Tipperary, where one of Ireland's most quietly compelling craft distilleries has been quietly doing things its own way. Session 12 offered an introduction to the Tipperary range — three distinctive pours that told a story rooted in dúchas, in the land itself, and in a thoughtful approach to Irish single malt. For a festival that prides itself on taking in the full sweep of the island's whiskey tradition, this was a session worth savouring slowly.

About This Event

This tasting includes 3 x 50ml Samples & Glass and will take place on the 23rd @ 15:00.

This tasting comprises of:

Farm House Gin- 40%
Watershed - Single Malt - 47%
Railway Field - Single Malt, Batch 1, Ex Rioja Cask- 50%

Tasting packs will be posted out to you, but may not arrive in time for the tastings. If you wish to collect the pack in Belfast to ensure you have it in time, please contact grace@belfastwhiskeyweek.com after you order.

Looking Back

The session ran on 23rd July at 3pm, part of BWW2021's broader programme that saw tastings delivered across living rooms, kitchen tables, and wherever a good glass could be found. Three 50ml samples made up the pack: the Farm House Gin at 40%, the Watershed Single Malt at 47%, and the standout of the trio — Railway Field Single Malt, Batch 1, finished in ex-Rioja cask at a robust 50%. It was a well-constructed arc, moving from botanical freshness through to something altogether more complex and characterful.

Tipperary Distillery sits on a working farm in County Tipperary, deep in the Golden Vale — that rich, green heart of Munster that has been producing fine things from the land for as long as anyone can remember. The distillery's philosophy is grounded in terroir and traceability, using heritage barley grown on the surrounding farm. That sense of place — of tír — came through unmistakably in the glass. The Watershed offered clean, malt-forward elegance with a gentle orchard fruitiness, while the Railway Field showed what happens when patient cask management meets quality new-make spirit: layers of red fruit, a whisper of tannin, and a warmth that lingered long after the last drop.

As an Introduction-level session, this was designed to welcome rather than overwhelm — and it succeeded on those terms. Newcomers to Irish craft whiskey found an accessible entry point, while those already acquainted with the category discovered fresh angles to consider. The gin was a thoughtful opener too, grounding the session in the farm's botanical landscape before moving into the whiskey proper. It was the kind of sequence that rewards attention, unfolding like a good conversation rather than a lecture.

Belfast Whiskey Week 2021 was notable for the range it achieved across the island's whiskey traditions — sessions ranged from deep dives into Bushmills heritage like the Session 83 Bushmills History MasterClass to exploratory introductions such as this one. Those interested in the full picture of that year's programme can find more on our Whiskey Map, which charts the distilleries and expressions that shaped the festival. For those who also attended the Bushmills Causeway Collection MasterClass, the contrast between the northern coastal character of Old Bushmills and the inland agricultural soul of Tipperary made for a particularly rewarding weekend of reflection.

Tipperary may not yet carry the name recognition of some of Ireland's older houses, but sessions like this one reminded attendees that the uisce beatha being made in that corner of Munster deserves every bit as much attention. Sláinte to the distillery, and to the curious drinkers who showed up on a July afternoon to find out more.