Around the World for the first time in 2024


January 4, 2024

	Around the World for the first time in 2024
	To France (and Brittany) then to Australia (and Tasmania)

Our first trip around the world in 2024. We'll keep kicking them off from France as long as we've got new French whiskies in the boxes. But no fears here, everyone's on the verge of starting up whisky distilleries anyway… You'll soon spot them wearing kilts and berets at fairs and festivals… No, seriously… And of course it's not too late; in France, the saying 'you can always drink your own production if you can't sell it' really does hold true.

Bache-Gabrielsen 5 yo 'BGW Batch #1' (41%, OB, France, single malt, 3,000 bottles, 2022)

Whisky by cognac makers, this is becoming pretty common. As long as they don't distill cognac in Scotland… By the way this was aged in ex-cognac and old pineau casks. At least it was 'in-house stuff'. Colour: light gold. Nose: pears and pastry dough, then vanilla custard, roasted peanuts and, guess what? Ta-dah… croissants! Mouth: nice pear liqueur with maple syrup and stewed peaches. TBH it's got something of cognac, especially these preserved peaches and these apricots in honey. The pineau feels more and more too, but we do love old pineau des Charentes (soon at Scottish brands too, some have them already). Finish: medium, very sweet. Pears and peaches poached in sweet white wine. Comments: you could call it a cognacsky or a whisgnac, but honestly, it was very well made.
SGP:731 - 80 points.

To Brittany…

Armorik 14 yo 2008/2023 (58%, OB, France, LMDW New Vibrations, Spanish oak sherry, cask #3339, 244 bottles)

Armorik/Warenghem are the true pioneers of whisky making in France, so anything but opportunists. Their recent offerings have been just perfect. There. Colour: mahogany. Nose: great, some piney sherry! It's not a very common style, but I love it. Imagine, dark chocolate, pine resin, pine needles, camphor, massive loads of eucalyptus, walnut stain, coffee beans… Then tar, terpenes and menthol. With water: a new box of thin mints. Mouth (neat): when heaviness and chemicals are assets. Well, not quite chemicals but there is a lot of piney varnish, green chartreuse, concentrated bitter marmalade, damson eau-de-vie (straight from the still) and just the blackest black and bitter chocolates. With water: more of all that, plus touches of salt. After all, we're very close to the sea. Finish: long, a little sweeter but still piney, mentholy and chocolaty, in perfect proportions. Some smokiness in the aftertaste, no? Comments: perfect proportions indeed. Also, someone's thrown a few After Eights into the cask, as it appears.
SGP:662 - 89 points.

Since we're in Brittany…

Kornog 10 yo 2012/2023 'Le Poids d'un Nuage' (58.5%, La Maison du Whisky, Ex Libris, 2nd-fill bourbon)

Le Poids d'un Nuage – The Weight of a Cloud – is a novel written by famous Breton poet Yvon Le Men and part of a trilogy. That's why LMDW have actually three different Kornogs within this series. Now, remember a cloud is pretty heavy, hundreds of tons! Colour: light gold. Nose: pristine peat, lemons, granny smith, virgin wool and olive oil. These batches have become magnificently pure, there isn't much to add. With water: porridge, fresh baguette, new jumper… Mouth (neat): I think I understand why anyone would believe there's a link to Breton clouds. It is immaculately on green apples, lime, grapefruits, oysters and slate. The precision of a Swiss watch (brand your choice, the most expensive are not the most accurate – it's like whisky ya know). With water: incredible brine, lemon, melons and lemons, bihan seashell… 'Bihan' means small in Breton. A.k.a 'wee' in whisky talk. Finish: perhaps not the longest ever but it remains pristine. Peaches emerging in the aftertaste. Comments: top 2 non-Scottish European peater, the other one being Smögen. They should do a collaboration and blend a Smörnog or a Korgen. Watch new collaborations to come…
SGP:656 - 90 points.

Let's do a long flight…

Spirit Thief 'Distiller's Cabernet Select' (46%, OB, Tasmania, 2023)

A company who's 'reason why' is to 'bring the two worlds of fine wine and super premium whisky together in a new way that highlights the strengths of both Tasmanian industries'. They seem to be sourcing and/or renting other distillers' equipment to produce their own bespoke spirits, which are always put into ex-red wine casks, such as this 'Cabernet' (wondering which kind of cabernet it is, franc? Sauvignon?) And so, strawberry alert? Colour: apricot. Nose: new-world whisky for sure. New sweet spice-mix (Timut pepper), strawberry jam indeed, strawberry liqueur, grenadine, rosé de Provence, Japanese red-bean paste, so mochi, then sweet flowers, wisteria, pansies, acacia flowers, orange blossom water… All this is appealing, actually, truly a new concept, probably a little 'mixologic'. Mouth: really less my thing on the palate. Red berries but also a lot of ginger, leaves, curry, bay leaves, leather, even rubber, beyond the winey fruitiness. I would suppose one would need to let this interesting juice rest in fairly inert barrels for quite some years of peaceful marriage, as the best brandy makers do. Finish: long, full of green spices and ginger, beyond the strawberries. Comments: it seems a bit like we're in the middle of the ford here. The idea has potential, but time is going to be a major ingredient. Or perhaps autoclaves or some kind of reactors to cook it all up a bit, as some slightly eccentric distillers already do.
SGP:760 - 76 points.

Let's quickly try another one…

Spirit Thief 'American Oak Shiraz' (48.3%, OB, Tasmania, 2023)

I don't believe I've seen anyone talk as much about the wines that were once in the barrels and even about the terroirs (McLaren Vale here), rather than about the distillate itself, but it's true that we saw it coming. Generally, European winemakers don't like this at all and block the practice because it can sometimes border on brand and reputation infringement (do that with Champagne and you're practically behind bars), but this may not be the case in other wine countries. Not sure that we should regret this, though, mutual back-scratching may be needed more and more in the coming years… Colour: deep gold. Nose: many more notes of fermentation here, less 'STR' character, more breads, pumpernickel, fruitcake, prunes, stewed peaches and berries… And just malt. Nutshell, it's rather less strawberry-driven. Got to love a good syrah. Mouth: bingo. Not saying this is 'pure' malt whisky, and indeed the wine remains loud, but the oak was rounder here while the fruits are richer and more complex. As we said, prunes are leading the way, then oranges, violet sweets, liquorice, salty touch… Finish: etcetera. More oak spices and chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: I'm reminded of some old batches by Lark, fifteen or twenty years ago. Rather fond of this little beast.
SGP:661 - 82 points.

… and since we're down there…

Hellyers Road 6 yo 2012/2023 (67.6%, OB, Tasmania, Peated, LMDW New Vibrations, cask #16322,02)

It's incredible what you learn from good websites such as LMDW's, did you know that Hellyers Road was owned by the second largest dairy cooperative in Australia? Colour: gold. Nose: very specific, hevea wood smoke, rubber, sauna oils, pine tar, grapefruit skin, and a lot of ethanol all right. With water: towards pine sap, cactus, washing powder and just raw malted barley, straight from the kiln, drums or boxes, whichever they're using. Mouth (neat): you do feel Hellyers Road's very thick texture, concentrated limoncello, with touches of gasoline perhaps, linseed oil, seawater… And once again, a lot of ethanol. With water: limoncello galore! And lemongrass, peppermint, tarragon, wormwood… This is extremely well carved. And always with this engaging fatness that's coating it all… Finish: long fat and tight at the same time. A feeling of big-city margarita (same as a regular margarita, plus £10). Lime, salt, earth… Comments: truly the devil's own tipple. Imagine, you can even enjoy it without a single drop of H2O.
SGP:666 - 89 points.