- Waterford Whisky has announced a new partnership with French visual artist, Nathanaël Koffi
- The partnership is for its forthcoming flagship cuvée, The Waterford Cuvée – “Koffi”
- Using contemporary, vibrant designs, Koffi has created a label to celebrate the distillery’s unique methodology to create the most naturally flavoursome single malts
Waterford Distillery has today announced a new partnership with experimental French artist, Nathanaël Koffi, to bring a fresh and bold perspective to its flagship single malt.
The distillery’s forthcoming release, The Waterford Cuvée – “Koffi”, scheduled for release this Autumn, brings together its individually-distinct Single Farm Origins to craft a multi-layered, complex single malt. By layering distinct distillates, which is radical in the whisky world, their cuvées are actually assembled following the same production principles as the great winemaking chateaux of Bordeaux.
Nathanaël Koffi, 27, has now designed a label that reflects Waterford Whisky’s unique production methodology – which includes terroir-driven distillations, organics and long fermentations – to create the most naturally flavoursome single malts. The contemporary, vibrant visuals mirror the colours of Ireland, terroir, barley, heritage and greenery.
Nathanaël Koffi said, “Through layering colours and patterns, I have aimed to capture the multi-dimensional and complex natural flavours of this ultimate Waterford Whisky cuvée. It harnesses everything I love about Waterford Distillery and its whiskies: body, texture and avant-garde methodologies.”
Waterford Distillery harnesses a scientifically-proven, terroir-driven methodology, where the influence of soil, microclimate and place influences the flavour compounds in barley and therefore captured in spirit. Each of its Single Farm Origin bottlings are produced separately with barley grown on individual terroirs across Southern Ireland, and each one displays unique flavour characteristics. In addition to this, Waterford Distillery is the world’s largest producer of organic and biodynamic whiskies. The distillery’s single malts reveal total transparency via its unique TÉIREOIR code, which allows drinkers to trace each bottle back to its barley fields, enjoy content from the farms and see details of every barrel used for that whisky.
Mark Newton, Head of Brand at Waterford Distillery, said, “We need a radical artist who can not only create the necessary visual energy for a bottle, but someone who could represent sensory complexity – the very purpose of our cuvée concepts – so strikingly. Nathanael’s paintings, and his often unusual canvasses, stand out a mile; a supreme talent, he was a very natural choice.”
Nathanaël Koffi’s experimentation with different media, textures, and sensations began with his first exhibition, “Première”, in June 2022. His evolution as an artist is evident from his early ‘skateboard’ works to his current, unconventional creations. Collaborations with notable brands such as Maison Kitsune, Sézane, Moleskine and Adidas have advanced his artistic journey along the way.
Waterford Distillery’s partnership with Nathanaël Koffi continues its tradition of using upcoming artists to interpret the complex layers of its flagship whisky, having worked with Irish artist, Leah Hewson, in 2021.