Ever since going on holiday to Brittany a couple of times I kind of have a weak spot for the area. Unfortunately, I was there with little kids and the distilleries of Brittany were hours away from where I was camping. I didn’t visit them, obviously. But I did kind of counter that by buying several bottles of Breton whisky, which I then proceeded to not drink or get around to.

This one, though, was from a sample. I wanted to get a bottle but couldn’t find one before it sold out. Luckily I was able to get myself a sample through SJ.

Contrary to what happens a lot with samples that aren’t sent from a more commercial point of view, I managed to try it almost immediately when it came in. You know, to not have it clog up space on my shelf for the next couple of years…

Most Breton whisky, and Kornog from Glann ar Mor distillery is not exception, follows the Scottish style of distilling to a T. It’s done in exactly the same way and even matures in a very comparable climate. There are exceptions where distilleries go back to more local things like using buckwheat instead of barley, and there are rye whiskies there too, but most of them are straight forward single malts. Like this one.

Sniff:
Heaps of barley and a minor hint of wood smoke. Slightly funky with hessian and cracked leather. Corky apple and quite some oak.

Sip:
The arrival is syrupy in texture and brings lot of barley notes, with some black pepper. Dry oak, wood spices, old apples. After a minute of ‘swimming’, there are notes of raisins and dark chocolate.

Swallow:
The finish is more barley focused. A bit of pepper and some old orchard fruits. Some wood spices, soot and wood smoke. Some dark chocolate too.

Well, this one is indeed a good one. I don’t remember the price when it came out but currently it goes for some € 350, which is ridiculous. It’s very good, but as said, fairly straight forward single malt whisky and at 15 years old, that should not cost that much money.

The ‘old style’ with slightly funky notes and a huge focus on the barley (and therefore the spirit) is what I really enjoy. The cask is used to mature the whisky instead of the spirit being used to only push cask flavors.

I wish I had bought a bottle back when it came out!

88/100