Yes, that actually IS a whisky. I can’t blame anyone for not knowing since I never heard of it either. At least, until last Thursday when Franck Debernardi from La Cave de Cobalt hosted a Twitter Tasting to celebrate his blog’s third birthday.

Unfortunately he blogs in French, which means I don’t understand much of what he writes. I probably could if I put some effort into it, but that would look a lot more like school excercises than leasurely reading.

G. Rozelieures is a single malt whisky distilled in the Lorraine area of France, which is rather northernly. The distillery mostly makes fruit eau de vies and liqueurs but apparently has ventures into whisky making for a little bit, and not without results!

G. Rozelieures Rare Collection, 40%

Sniff:
It’s dry and oaky at first, but there is a young and spirity quality to it. Not in a  bad way. It’s quite heavy with a bit of sweaty notes and maybe a touch of cheese. Some red wine tannins and it’s very irony, like blood or Dutch apple treacle. Also, for some reason it feels very restrained. Like there is a lot more about to happen, but it doesn’t.

Sip:
Here it gets more sweet and spicy. It’s pretty sharp and rough around the edges with red cinnamon. It mellows quickly though and becomes very sweet indeed. Butter, iron, apple treacle (appelstroop) again. Some overripe fruit and gingerbread too.

Swallow:
The sweetness now becomes rum like, with lots of sugar. The spirity quality is back and some oak is present too.

The sweetness was later explained by the fact that Sherry, Cognac and Sauternes casks were used to mature this dram.

While this will never be my favourite whisky it is an interesting dram to try. For a first venture away from fruit alcohols it’s not a bad effort either from La Maison de la Mirabelle.

A nice introduction to a young-ish distillery and a young-ish whisky brand. Especially for a French Whisky Twitter Tasting I love that Franck ventured out to do something off the beaten path! The fact that this distillery is in the lorraine area makes me want to visit it too. It’s not far, so it might actually happen someday!

G.Rozelieures Rare Collection, 40%, un-chilfiltered, La Maison de la Mirabelle. Available from the distillery at € 44.50

Thanks to Franck for the sample and for including me in the Twitter Tasting!