49,2°
Distillery : Castan - France
Ex-Maury Wine Cask
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2023
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Heavily Peated
France is full of little-known distilleries that produce even less, like this one, Castan, founded in 1941 and producing whisky since 2010. This jewel in the crown of Occitan agriculture produces an entirely organic spirit, using barley grown on site, because it is first and foremost a family farm. Here we have a rare bottling, aged in a single red wine cask, also an Occitan wine, known as Maury. There are 324 bottles in all. The only drawback is that it is not vintage or even aged. But the relatively low alcohol content for a cask strength reassures me a little. It is being sold exclusively at La Maison du Whisky, under the banner of the New Vibrations range.
Let's Taste It :
Sweet prunes, dates and candied blueberries, the wine leaves its mark. Then the peat rises, warm and earthy, strong smoke, meaty as you wish, beef jerky, chorizo, with a hint of raspberry coulis. There's an air of autumn too, with dried fruits and dead leaves. It's a bit creamy. On the palate, the meat becomes rare, a nice layer of peat, steak with a pepper sauce, but I also find some cereals. Morello cherries, cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. Quite a long, well-crafted finish, earth again, oak bark, heather and forest berries. Pureed fruit.
In Short,
I was a bit suspicious when I saw that it was ageless, but it's good, really. It's right up my street, both peaty and very fruity. The price is a bit high though, otherwise I'd be tempted.
Score : 88
To Be Listened While Sipping :
UFO - Love to Love
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