Our Whiskies
Welcome to the Land of the Brave! Mont-Saint-Jean Farm, in the heart of the Waterloo battlefield, is very proud to present you its whiskies produced from the brewing of Waterloo beers.
The first barrels of Scotch whisky arrived on the farm in 1815, during the Battle of Waterloo. The whisky was mostly reserved for the officers and helped them fight off the pain of the injuries sustained on this battlefield. Today, after three years of distilling on the basis of the recipe for our Waterloo beers, we can finally present our three Waterloo Whiskies: ‘The Surgeon’, ‘The Nurse’ and ‘The Brancardier’.
Our two Single Casks, The Surgeon & The Nurse, are boyh from a single Cask and will not exceed 300 bottles. All are clearly numbered.
Don’t hesitate, call us to book your visit of the brewery, the distillery and to learn their secrets. You will discover our brewing vats and our superb still, before entering our cellars where the angels are waiting to reveal a magical show…
Discover the whisky of the Master Brewers!
The Empereur
Our master distiller, Edward, has indulged himself by ageing his oldest whisky in an old Cognac cask for 1 year.
The result is impressive: an experience based on fresh apples, with subtle hints of orange and Cognac that are easy to appreciate and recognise. Our 5 year old is only available at the Mont-Saint-Jean farm.
type: 41.5% Cognac Cask Finish
The Brewer
“Brewers” were originally farmers! Indeed, brewing was part of the farmer’s job, and turning grain into beer was vital for food preservation in those days. If the farmer didn’t do this in time, the grain would either be eaten by rodents, or it would sprout and lose all its nutritional qualities for consumption. So beer was a primary need in those days!
Today, we’d like to pay tribute to our farmers and brewers! Brewing is still essential today. Because when you distill “new-make” (what will become whisky after 3 years), you’re not creating alcohol, but separating the water and alcohol molecules. This is why a distiller needs a brewer to create the alcohol during grain fermentation. At Waterloo Brewery, we’re committed to using the foundations of our beer recipes (like Waterloo Triple for our Single Malt, for example) to achieve exceptional flavors!
Batch I - 2023
Imagine a smoky blend of leather and spice mixed with salty, peppery and malty flavours. All with a final touch of toasted bread and macadamia nuts.
ABV : 42%
The Brancardier
Batch III - 2023
This whisky presents a fruity nose with hints of quince, caramel, and pear, along with a balanced palate between toasted oak and spicy caramel. Its finish is persistent with touches of marshmallow and pepper, and a silky texture
Barrels: New French oak STR 30L and 225L + Bourbon
ABV : 43%
Batch II - 2021
Sourced directly from our pear orchards, the intense flavour of pear blends with the exotic notes of green banana and pineapple. Add a touch of caramelised hazelnuts, fresh vanilla tobacco and butterscotch. Lovely finish, pleasant and creamy.
ABV : 40%
Jim Murray: “A “single grain”, but I could swear I’m picking up malt on the nose. Alongside much lighter melon and quite a perfumy pepperiness. However, the body is perhaps a little too soft, for all its delightful vanilla, and could do with some extra weight. When the label told about how the whisky was distilled from their beer, my heart sank a little as I envisioned a distillation wrecked by hops. Delighted to report no such disaster awaited. Quite a jolly whisky which rumbles along in its own unique manner, even at times upping the juiciness levels. 40%”
Batch I - 2020
Waterloo Single Grain is without a doubt the ideal introduction to the world of Belgian whisky. Aromas of caramel and vanilla complement subtle and spicy notes. You can even discern a bouquet of spring flowers. The smooth mouthfeel is characterised by a very round combination of vanilla sugar balanced by spicy and woody flavours, resulting from a blend with other American barrels made from white oak (Quercus alba). The finish is characterised by a long aftertaste of tea leaves.
ABV : 46%
The Nurse
‘The Nurse’ refers to the vital role played by Allied and Belgian women (often from the village) who assisted the medical corps throughout the battle at Mont-Saint-Jean Farm.
Type : Single Cask Grain
Batch II - 2021
Imagine a smoky blend of leather and spice mixed with salty, peppery and malty flavours. All with a final touch of toasted bread and macadamia nuts.
ABV : 42%
Jim Murray: “Adorable smoke on the nose here: not gunpowder as might have been smelt at this distillery 208 years ago…but unmistakable soft peat, boasting an Ardbegian citrus strain. Delicate to the point of crumbling before your very nose… Just like on the Brancardier, I could swear I’m picking up malted barley….and with that level of chocolate-rich peat I’m sure I must be. Also, how else do I get that intense Malteser candy middle dissolving on the tongue? The middle is laced with genteel oak. The finale at last sees the peppers arrive with a quiet determination to add a bit of threat into the malt and vanilla fade….and one serenaded by such comforting phenol… A nurse with a glass-side manner that is impeccable. The peat level could not be more disarming. Remember how I mentioned lack of bod on the Brancardier? Well, those phenols have certainly made the difference. 42%”
Batch I - 2020
This Waterloo Single Cask Grain whisky is surely a pleasant surprise! Using Waterloo Récolte as a basis for distillation, we have succeeded in extracting all aromas from the beer, but without losing anything … Pear and grass aromas linger behind the sweet fragrance of vanilla, together with notes of red pepper and grains. Connoisseurs will also appreciate the subtle notes of dark chocolate.
ABV : 42%
The Surgeon
Type : Single Cask Malt
Batch II - 2021
Elegantly fruity! Yellow melon, peach and pear contrast with almond and walnut flavours; all balanced by a touch of spice, with a soft and creamy finish
ABV : 54%
Jim Murray: “Quite a malty outbreak here. There is a note there which would be better off elsewhere. But the massive barley intervention is welcome…and required. Again, there is a bitter niggle. But the barley sugar is huge. Next time, hopefully, that restraining bitter note will have been eliminated. And that the gorgeous, super-rich and spiced-up barley note is much increased… You get the feeling that lessons were quickly learned from the disappointing Batch I and here the accent is very much on the malt. And a very sexy accent it is, too…. 54%
Orders for the Whisky Bible are currently being taken; if you would like to place an order, do let me know. Orders over ten books qualify for a discount from us.”
Batch I - 2020
This Waterloo Single Cask Malt is distilled from our Waterloo Triple Blond. The Belgian barley, fermented with our special yeast, brings extraordinary spicy notes. After distillation, the spirit ages for over three years in oak barrels from the Highlands of Scotland. This whisky is characterised by sweet vanilla aromas blended with oak, followed by notes of spices and juniper. The long aftertaste of barley is reminiscent of Waterloo Triple.
ABV : 46%
Jim Murray: “Not the surgeon I’d like to have sticking a knife into me. Sorry, but just feel the nose doesn’t work: too much going on not whisky-related…and certainly not malt whisky-related. To taste, the barley intervention is welcome and for all its later weaknesses the odd Demerara sugar and coconut milk note works quite well… 46%”
