Thanks to a close friend, Martha, for pouring me this sample.
So I was at a tasting, in the before times, back when we all met up for such things. And where we will meet up again.
It was the year where we did world whiskies, and one of the tasters brought Rozelieures Single Malt Peated Collection, which was (for me) a new French whisky distillery that made a peated malt and a mixture of ex-bourbon casks and French New Oak casks.
The distillery itself is owned by a family that has been producing cereals (barley) for five generations. And from their talk they are one of the few French distilleries using peated malt. In addition the French oak comes from local forests.
That’s all impressive, however let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We don’t know the split of the casks. We do know they only do single malts: However we don’t have age statements, which is poop. Total poop. Like having onions before an orgy, really.
That all said, we don’t know if they can do without: Let’s see how this tastes, shall we?
Price: €62,00
Region: France
Casks Used: Ex-bourbon casks and French New Oak casks
Abv: 46%
Colour: 2.5Y 8/8
Nose: Cumin, banana, apple, smoke, pot pourri
Earthy smoke, sweet, and floral. Interesting mixture of sweet and savoury going on here. Think maybe applewood smoke? That experimental meal you too made in university with fruit instead of vegetables? I don’t know, but I’m liking the floral aspect as well.
Taste: Lemon cheesecake, banana, golden syrup
Creamy, tart, fruity, and very sweet. If anything I feel like the flavours are abrupt though interesting. Easily drinkable if you’re a peated whisky fan, the smoke is more subdued at this point and falls into the cask influence.
Finish: Smoke, cocoa, plum, earth
Finish is a very typical sweet, smoke whisky. Think a mid-aged Bowmore OB release, which depending on how you feel about Bowmore, is either a compliment or a put down. Maybe one of the better ones.
Conclusion: Nice slightly complex (at times) peated dram. This is a good first step, and shows where this could go. I’d love to get my hands on something like this with more abv. Or more age or even knowing the age. Heck I’d love to see what the individual components go in.
Thus we know they have someone who’s good at vatting. In a day and age where finding a good daily dram with smoke in it is tough, this is a great option. Easy to get the peat head in your life.
Now release something with age and a bit more abv. Rozelieures.
76/100
World Whisky review #405, France review #12, Whisky Network review #2033
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