Le Breuil Finition Tourbée Whiskey de Normandie / 46% / 0.7l

Château du Breuil is a renowned Calvados producer based in Normandy. The château, built in the early 16th century, was converted to Calvados distillation in 1954, and joined the ranks of whisky producers in 2020.

Master distiller Philippe Etignard decided to use Golden Promise barley, a variety famous in the 1960s used by distilleries such as Macallan and Karuizawa (its popularity declined a quarter of a century later due to low yields per hectare compared to new varieties). The whisky is distilled twice and aged in American and French oak barrels for at least three years. The current range includes three versions of the Le Breuil single malt, the Finition Tourbée presented here was finished for a year in barrels from a distillery based in the south of the island of Islay.

Aroma: pleasantly smoky, forest floor, a handful of fresh herbs, barley malt, vanilla, brown sugar, green apples, notes of pepper and oak.

Palate: peat smoke and ash, breakfast cereal, baked apples, vanilla, white pepper, grapefruit, lemon peel and a pinch of cardamom.

Finish: medium long, with notes of vanilla, praline, tropical fruits, toasted oak and peat smoke in the background.