Brenne Special Edition (Pineau de Charentes Finish)

Brenne Special Edition (Pineau de Charentes Finish)

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Dark yellow gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Artificial grape flavour, sultanas, cream, artificial melon flavour, honeydew melons, bubble gum. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Artificial melon flavour, mint, sultanas, white wine, icing sugar, white pepper, bubble gum. 
Finish: Medium. Bubble gum, icing sugar, sultanas, raspberries, artificial grape flavour. 

Comments: 

Floral and fragrant, definitely an improvement on previous bottlings. Tastes rather like melon Ramune, the Japanese soft drink, especially at this low ABV.

Verdict:

I like this.

Coperies Single Malt (French Fortified Wine Cask Finish)

Coperies Single Malt (French Fortified Wine Casks Finish)

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Amber 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Molasses, raisins, raspberry jam, black pepper, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, cool, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Molasses, raspberry jam, magic marker, surgical spirit, dark chocolate, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, vanilla, hints of new plastic. 

Comments: 

Very estery with lots of volatile flavours. Notes of antiseptic and surgical spirit predominate, followed by a wave of dark chocolate. It’s got a bitter, fragrant finish, mostly coffee with some estery fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arlett Single Malt Tourbe

Arlett Single Malt Tourbe

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale gold
43% ABV

Dram

Nose: Mangoes, smoke, leather, lemon zest, photocopy paper, autumn leaves, nutmeg, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Germolene, autumn leaves, peaches, mangoes, orange peel, nutmeg, cloves, gauze bandages, hints of charcoal ash. 
Finish: Medium. Gauze bandages, germolene, autumn leaves, mangoes, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Medicinal peat, with feinty, slightly chemical flavours. There’s also leather, and earthiness, but also tropical fruit and spice. A very interesting whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arlett Finition Barbados Rhum Cask

Arlett Finition Barbados Rhum Cask

Official bottling

Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale orange gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, photocopy paper, peaches, white pepper, nectarines, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, volatile. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Mangoes, peaches, nectarines, bananas, Demerara sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Short. Mangoes, bananas, Demerara sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

This whisky is well made, with the funky rum and tropical fruit flavours very clearly defined. Lots of peaches and nectarines as well. One of the best rum casks I’ve had.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Brenne 10yo

Brenne 10yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Golden
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Magic marker, lemon zest, grapefruit, pomeloes, cinnamon, pencil erasers, hints of pencil lead. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. White grapes, sultanas, honey, fresh cut grass, cinnamon, pomeloes. 
Finish: Medium. Cinnamon, lemon zest, grapefruit, sultanas, hints of damson jam. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and feinty, also some esters. Good jammy notes on the finish as well, although there’s a hint of bitterness that reminds me of grapefruit. This is not the same as the early Brennes I tried. It’s much better.

Verdict:

I like this.

Coperies Single Malt

Coperies Single Malt

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Orange gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brass polish, coffee, orange peel, passionfruit, orange juice, cream, blueberry jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Milk chocolate, honey, orange peel, blueberry jam, malted grains, coffee, hints of black pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, black pepper, malted grains, passionfruit. 

Comments: 

Fruity, tart, but with a good milky cocoa sweetness. Why, it’s almost chocolatey. There’s also jam notes, and a bitter, fragrant note that’s reminiscent of coffee. It’s a good dram from a distillery that normally makes eau-de-vie.

Verdict:

I like this.

Fontagard Single Malt PNDC 9918-9

Fontagard Single Malt PNDC 9918-9

Official bottling 
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Pale green gold
44% ABV
Dram

Nose: Seaweed, fresh cut grass, pears, new plastic, overripe peaches, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Seaweed, fresh cut grass, lemon zest, thyme, peaches, new plastic, white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Thyme, peaches, lemon zest, seaweed. 

Comments: 

Young, around 3 years old, and it shows. Some interesting kelp seaweed notes give way to estery new plastic notes on the nose. On the tongue it has more of the same, although with a bit more grassy freshness. French whisky divides opinion.

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Brenne Whisky Cuvée Speciale Lot 006

Brenne Whisky Cuvée Speciale Lot 006

Official bottling
Single malt - Poitou-Charentes
Golden
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Grapes, peaches, honey, bubble gum, hints of orange juice. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Bubble gum, orange juice, white grapes, peaches, honey. 
Finish: Short. Green tea, bubble gum, strawberries, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Very sweet and fruity, loaded with estery artificial fruit flavours. Like strawberry-flavoured Hubba Bubba gum. It's also redolent with cooked, almost overripe fruit. Doesn't really taste like whisky. While that's never stopped me in the past, I think this is too harsh, a few more years of aging may well bring the malt complexity to the fore.

Verdict:

Not bad.