Eddu 14yo Batch 1

Eddu 14yo Batch 1

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Brittany 
Bright gold
47.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mint, orange peel, vitamin C tablets, lemon zest, malted grains, pear drops, hints of sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Malted grains, vitamin C tablets, lemon zest, orange peel, lemon juice, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, malted grains, fresh baked bread, white pepper, hints of orange peel. 

Comments: 

Citrusy, light mouth feel at first then sits heavier on the tongue. Quite malty with plenty of fruit. A nice finish that turns bitter and fragrant. 

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 157.2 (Warenghem 7yo 2016/2024)

SMWS 157.2 (Warenghem 7yo 2016/2024)

2024, SMWS
Single malt - Brittany
Amber
61.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, fresh cut grass, hay, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, hints of brown paper. With water, coffee, toffee, cinnamon, chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, cinnamon, black tea, hay, raisins, leather, toffee, hints of damson jam. With water, coffee, chocolate, toffee, cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, hay, brown paper, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Very sweet and grassy, lots of cinnamon notes. These become more prominent with water, and combine with coffee and chocolate too. A very active cask, which obscures the best characteristics of the distillery though.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog 6yo PX Butt (Whisky Exchange Exclusive)

Kornog 6y PX Butt (Whisky Exchange Exclusive)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Straw
60.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, white spirit, autumn leaves, petrichor, peat, oak chips, hints of yoghurt. With water, peanuts, tyre rubber, petrichor, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. White spirit, autumn leaves, petrichor, sultanas, lemon zest, hints of smoked bacon. With water, cream, petrichor, yoghurt, hints of tyre rubber. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, germolene, autumn leaves, lemon zest, petrichor. 

Comments: 

Well, it must be a refill PX butt. Lots of smoky creamy lactic notes, not much of the raisins or red fruits that one might reasonably expect. Good level of complexity, nicely stripped back dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog 13yo 2007 Sauternes Cask

Kornog 13yo 2007 Sauternes Cask 

Animal Spirits
Single malt - Brittany
Mahogany
57% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, vanilla, orange peel, smoke, cinder toffee, tyre rubber. With water, raisins, candied oranges, vanilla, butterscotch. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, astringent, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Peat, smoke, peanuts, leather, hibiscus, orange peel, cinder toffee, rubber bands, wet stones. With water, rubber bands, raisins, candied oranges, peanuts. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, wet stones, rubber bands, smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 937. Sweet wine cask on peated distillate can be hit or miss. This one is sort of a hit, I guess - lots of sweet floral notes that float on top of robust peat. I can’t tell whether the sulphur is from the wine cask or from the distillate. From a Singaporean bottler that’s new to me. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Whisky Breton

Armorik Whisky Breton

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Lemon yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, leather, lemon zest, malted grains, hay, hints of white pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, warm, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Leather, lemon zest, white pepper, vanilla, marshmallows, hay, hints of roast pork. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, leather, white pepper, magic marker, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Entry level Armorik. It’s meaty and estery, quite a hefty, oily whisky. It’s a bit like eating a meal, lots of differences between initial sip and end sip. Rewards introspection, something quite unusual for a NAS core range bottling.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Triagoz

Armorik Triagoz

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, green tea, sandalwood, smoke, fresh cut grass, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Fresh cut grass, tobacco leaf, honey, vanilla, green tea, coffee, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, green tea, malted grains, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Distilled in 2013. It’s got great complexity, and a big heap of cereal as a backbone. Lots of herbal, bitter notes dance on the tongue. Great stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Eddu Version Francaise

Eddu Version Francaise

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Golden, hints of orange
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, lemon zest, honeycomb, pomeloes, golden syrup, anise, cream, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honeycomb, pomeloes, peaches, anise, white pepper, brown paper, hints of jasmine. 
Finish: Medium. Honeycomb, black tea, golden syrup, peaches, hints of leather. 

Comments: 

Well now. That slightly chalky vitamin C tablet note that was present in previous Eddus has mellowed and deepened, losing its chalkiness, and become much more like anise and orange juice. This is sweet and luscious, very enjoyable indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Eddu Silver

Eddu Silver 

Official bottling 

Single grain - Brittany 
Buttercups 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, vitamin C tablets, lemon sherbet, makrut lime leaf, fresh cut grass, hints of basil. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, turns syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vitamin C tablets, makrut lime leaf, fresh cut grass, pomeloes, orange juice, brass polish, hints of lemon sherbet. 
Finish: Long. Basil, brass polish, vitamin C tablets, white pepper, hints of pomeloes. 

Comments: 

Quite herbal and citrusy, lots of chalky, slightly feinty notes. It’s like biting into one of those fizzy vitamin C tablets. Nice long herbal finish too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Eddu Brocéliande

Eddu Brocéliande 

Official bottling 
Single grain - Brittany
Orange yellow
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sherbet, sour cream, candied oranges, fresh cut grass, vitamin C tablets, green peppers, hints of aluminium foil. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, expands slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Greengages, green peppers, nectarines, lemon sherbet, vitamin C tablets, candied oranges, hints of prunes, hints of leather. 
Finish: Short. Leather, candied oranges, nectarines, prunes, vitamin C tablets. 

Comments: 

Buckwheat whisky. It’s a distinctive grain, and so is the whisky, except that it doesn’t have much of the nutty buckwheat flavour. Instead it’s full of green fruits and fizzy vitamin C tablets, citrusy and bright.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Glann ar Mor Single Malt

Glann ar Mor Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, passionfruit, leather, grapefruit, malted grains, papayas, hints of fresh cut grass. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, cool, loosens slightly. 
Tasting:  Sour. Grapefruit, papayas, lemon zest, malted grains, jasmine, leather, milk chocolate, vanilla sponge. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, leather, milk chocolate, fresh cut grass, hints of passionfruit. 

Comments: 

Quite a lactic dram, but it’s not sickly, like it often is. Instead it’s almost herbal, and the milk undertone somehow morphs into a milk chocolate note that is really rather good. Very pleasant stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Sherry Cask

Armorik Sherry Cask 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Pale copper
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Caramel, black tea, raisins, cinnamon, brown paper, orange peel, hints of pomegranates. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, black tea, butterscotch, cinder toffee, pomegranates, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Caramel, raisins, white grapes, orange peel, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Relatively straightforward whisky, lots of sweet sherried notes, with some interesting fruity notes such as pomegranates. It’s got a nice toffee / spicy finish, and is a pleasant drink.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Millesime 14yo 2002/2016

Armorik Millesime 14yo 2002/2016

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Pink
59.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Roast chicken, black tea, strawberries, red grapes, cloves, sandalwood, vanilla ice cream, hints of honeydew melons, hints of honeysuckle. With water, vanilla ice cream, sandalwood, strawberries, hints of black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Artificial grape flavour, roast chicken, sandalwood, peaches, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, honeysuckle, hints of orange peel. With water, honeydew melons, orange peel, black tea, hints of lychees. 
Finish: Long. Roast chicken, sandalwood, cloves, orange peel, peaches. 

Comments: 

Cask 3309. Extremely fruity, sherry finished whisky, lots of tropical and stone fruit, as well as vanilla ice cream. There’s a meaty note as well, that tinges the whisky with an alluring savour.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Armorik Dervenn

Armorik Dervenn

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Copper 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, caramel, butterscotch, coffee, orange peel, hints of sulphur. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toffee, orange peel, vanilla, coffee, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Medium. Toffee, dark chocolate, coffee, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Caramelly, lots of orange peel and vanilla, and a slight tang of coffee. Breton single malt, quite Celtic in character, but not that interesting, but equally, it’s not bad. Needs aging perhaps, quite a lot of these NAS malts do. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog Peated Single Malt

Kornog Peated Single Malt

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany 
Pale straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pineapples, leather, peat, preserved lemons, candied oranges, sea salt, hints of green papayas. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Sea salt, leather, candied oranges, smoke, peat, preserved lemons, hints of germolene, hints of malted grains. 
Finish: Medium. Preserved lemons, pineapples, leather, peat, hints of sea salt, hints of green papayas. 

Comments: 

Saline and savoury, with gentle but assertive peat, this French whisky also has some citrus and mouth puckering notes. Unusually good as an aperitif with some ice - and I don’t say this often about whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik 14yo 2002/2016 Single Cask 3309

Armorik 14yo 2002/2016 Single Cask 3309

Official bottling 
Single malt - Brittany
Amber, hints of copper
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, honey, winter melon, pears, hints of mint. With water, lemon zest, green apples, walnut skins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Winter melon, green apples, pears, walnut skins, leather, peat, hints of toast. With water, lemon zest, green apples, more leather, walnut skins, black tea. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, lemon zest, peat, leather, green apples. 

Comments: 

Cask 3309 as it says on the bottle. Quite complex in its own way, lots of fruit and more than a hint of peat. It tastes older than it is, and is very pleasurable to drink at cask strength. Lovely bitter finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog 15yo 2005/2020

Kornog 15yo 2005/2020

WhiskySponge, Decadent Drinks
Single malt - Brittany
Orange gold 
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, green olives, sea salt, pears, peat, tobacco leaf, hints of asparagus. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, mouth coating, warm. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Green olives, pears, white grapes, magic marker, peat, hints of sultanas. 
Finish: Long. Green olives, sea salt, white grapes, lemon zest, leather. 

Comments: 

My first whisky from Whisky Sponge. Those bottles generally retail at a premium, but this one was for charity, and I managed to snag a sample. It’s very savoury, the normal fruit from these whiskies is hidden under a layer of savoury, briny flavours. It’s not so coastal like the Scottish malts are, instead it’s herbal, with a fair bit of umami. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Armorik Maitre de Chai 2008 (6 yo 2008/2015)

Armorik Maitre de Chai 2008 (6 yo 2008/2015)

Official bottling
Single malt - Brittany
Amber rose
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, walnuts, orange peel, smoked ham, plums, hints of sea salt . 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Sea salt, driftwood smoke, raisins, plums, peanuts, hints of leather. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, sea salt, plums, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Hmm... salty! Fruity, meaty, but above all salty. Plenty of smoke and peat too, with a glorious chewy meatiness that makes the mouth water. Good whisky, this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Double Maturation

Armorik Double Maturation

Official bottling
Single malt - Brittany
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, red grapes, stewed apples, vanilla, black tea, hints of salt caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Stewed apples, sea salt, peat, black tea, vanilla, hints of burning driftwood. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, salt caramel, sea salt, hints of iron filings. 

Comments: 

Matured in sherry casks and fresh oak. Briney and salty, heaped with peat, some hints of smoke, but with a sweet edge. Appley and fresh, slightly tannic. This is what I always imagined Brittany tastes like.

Verdict:

I like this.

Armorik Classic Single Malt

Armorik Classic Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Brittany
Bronze
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, pears, orange peel, overripe peaches, leather, hints of mint. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, slightly oily . 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange peel, cream, overripe peaches, lemon zest, cucumber skin, hints of ginseng. 
Finish: Long. Leather, ginseng, lemon zest, cucumber skin. 

Comments: 

Fruity, slightly peaty, on the nose, but that is washed away on the tongue by a wall of herbal bitterness. Very odd note - almost like what you get when you bite into a cucumber, intense bitterness but only for a moment. Then more gentle, herbal bitterness that reminds me of ginseng.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kornog 5vet Deiz Ha Bloaz

Kornog 5vet Deiz Ha Bloaz

Official bottling
Single malt - Brittany
Pale green
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, orange peel, lemon zest, strawberries, prunes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, oily, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Prunes, plums, strawberries, marmalade, peat, smoke. 
Finish: Short. Peat, marmalade, plums, hints of soy sauce. 

Comments: 

This distillery shuts next month, August 2015, due to EU denomination of origin laws that will require a change to production methods. What an absolute shame. This whisky was bottled to celebrate the distillery's 5th anniversary, it won't see it's 16th. The whisky is fragrant and fruity, but wreathed in smoke and peat. There's a savoury edge. Pretty good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.