World whisky is gaining popularity. France is a top whisky market, and there are quite some local distilleries doing a good job. My last French whisky review was of a whisky from Brittany ,this distillery however is located in Lorraine. They seem to produce a few lines of whisky : a Regular (aged in sherry, sauternes, and other casks), Smoked (Tourbé), and Smoky (Fumé – peated to 20 ppm). Today I shall be tasting the Tourbé edition, which was aged i n ex-Bourbon and French oak casks (no sherry).
G.Rozelieures Tourbé Collection , 46% abv , € 59
Nose: this feels quite young and fruity to boot. Apple peal, pear drops, fragrant yeast cereal and bubblegum. Quite nice and light with the smoky Wood fire adding a nice touch.
Palate : earthy and peppery at first with peat and wood smoke, then turning Sweeter with the pear apple combo and malty cereal. More ash and pepper and as well as wood. Lingering ash and soot.
Finish : bitter ash, cereal. Dry.
This is a nice young peated whisky, with a nice fruitiness and cereal notes as can be expected by the age. It’s quite clean, there are no off-notes which are sometimes found in young non scotch, and that is a good thing! A nice summer time sipper for me, and the price is not over the top (given it’s a small scale distillery). It’s worth a try, if you’re trying to get to know world whisky a bit better. Nothing you can not find elsewhere, but interesting as is. It will be really interesting to see how this ages further, I see a great future for such older expressions.
Many thanks to Franck for the wee sample!