G. Rozelieures 18 yo French Wine Cask

 

 

 

53,2°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

French Banyuls Wine Casks 

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 6 ppm

 

 

 

And the highlight of this new regular range launched last September is this 18-year-old whisky, a very rare age in France. It has been matured in prestigious French wine casks, of the Banyuls type. This time, the peat content is specified as 6 ppm, which is very light.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Strong influence of wine on the nose, it's syrupy, dried fruit, candied fruit, glazed chestnuts, dried damsons, dates, apricots, bananas, candied cherries, old plums, cocoa powder, forest fragrances, undergrowth, glade, oak leaves, acorns, black earth with a hint of caramel, sprinkled with cinnamon and paprika. On the palate, it is lighter, macerating red fruits, blueberries, redcurrants, damp bark, noble and exotic wood, meat stuffing, balanced spices. Very long, powerful finish, wood and tall grasses, reeds, chestnut crumbs, cashew nuts, vanilla sweetness.

 

In Short, 

The nose and finish are very successful, but I still found the palate weak, although much better than previous bottlings. I would like to defend this bottling more, which is quite daring in a French context where quality whisky is rare, but there are still a few flaws. What's more, the price is really very high, which doesn't surprise me, as it is very expensive to age whisky for 18 years in France, which is why there is virtually none. I sincerely hope that this first attempt will find its fans and that it will soon be imitated. 

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           HK et les Saltimbanks - Je suis

G. Rozelieures 10 yo Double Oak

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

French and American Oak Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range

Single Malt 

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Lightly Peated

 

 

 

The second element in Rozelieures' new regular range is this one, a 10-year-old whisky aged in French and American oak casks, slightly peated, but we don't know exactly to what extent, and non-chill filtered. The alcohol content is more appealing at 46%, which is better than the 8-year-old, which was a modest 42%.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It is sweet, with sour grapes and molasses, a light and grainy peat, but also complex, with shortbread biscuits, varnished wood, still-warm caramel, ripe white fruits, banana, mirabelle plums, freshly baked French toast, forest undergrowth. On the palate, it is syrupy, with old plum, campfire, roasted almonds, quince jam, very subtle spices, rosemary, cinnamon, grey pepper. The finish is almost good, with toasted wood, dried fruit, dates, apricots, cashews, heather soil, a pinch of salt and forest berries.

 

In Short, 

It's starting to get interesting, the palate is finally expressive, and the nose and finish reveal a genuine character. This is a thoroughly drinkable whisky, enjoyable, with occasional complexity and even depth. Unfortunately, it is not very competitive in terms of price, the Scots do better for less, but at least it has the merit of coming from our own country and being a little different, with a foresty and very woody profile.

Score : 85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           CharlElie Couture - Comme un avion sans ailes

G. Rozelieures 8 yo Triple Cask

 

 

 

42°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

American Oak, French Oak, Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Lightly Peated

 

 

 

Rozelieures is making a big splash this September with the launch of a new regular aged range. It is very rare in France for a distillery to launch a truly aged range, as French regulations encourage the release of the youngest possible whiskies, which is a disgrace. The first representative of this new range is the 8-year-old, matured in three different casks, reduced to 42% ABV and slightly peated, at less than 20 ppm, although the exact level is not specified.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is pleasant, with a slight creaminess, spring freshness, walnut cake, creamy honey, prunes, dark chocolate, liquorice, cachous, stuffed figs, and some earthy, undergrowth and vegetable garden fragrances. On the palate, it is still disappointing and lacking in expression, but there are some dried fruits, dates, apricots, a hint of lemon zest, lychees, reserved spices, and intense, rough woodiness. The finish is not very long, but acceptable, with notes of toasted bread spread with semi-salted butter, braised chestnuts, caramel, pumpkin seeds, peanuts.

 

In Short, 

It has a certain character, the nose and finish are consistent, and from that point of view, it's a success. But that's without taking into account the palate, which still struggles to assert itself. It should be drunk quickly to avoid feeling the emptiness on that side. Given these flaws, I find it too expensive for what it is. But I applaud the audacity of launching an aged whisky, and I hope it will improve with time. 

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                          Les Innocents - L'Autre Finistère

G. Rozelieures 2022 Le Parcellaire Rouge Côte 3 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

Refill French Oak Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

La Rouge Côte is a tiny 1.9-hectare plot facing south, with clay and limestone soil. It was chosen as the new experimental field for the Le Parcellaire range. The barley was harvested, then malted, and distilled in early 2022. The whisky is only three and a half years old, but it was matured in refill French oak casks to allow the distillate to develop fully.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose has a light but obvious chalky profile, with a little astringency and a gentle minerality. White fruits, fresh cereals, green apple, malted barley, green apples, a few sandy notes, a pinch of salt. On the palate, however, it is still inconsistent, offering lychees, grapefruit, white pear, creamy vanilla, but nothing more, a few rare spices, traces of salt. The finish is better, although not very intense, with salt-preserved hazelnuts, gypsum, salt dough, chestnut crumbs, but a little short.

 

In Short, 

I found the nose interesting, with a beautiful chalky, even mineral profile, but the palate is inevitably disappointing at such a young age. I think it's a very interesting experiment, but the juice needs to be left to mature for longer, that's essential. What's more, the price is quite high for what it is, which is a shame. 

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                          Pomme - En Cavale

G. Rozelieures 2019 Les Limoneux Blanches Terres Le Parcellaire 3 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

Refill Cognac and Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Still within the Le Parcellaire range, which explores the concept of terroir, the gentlemen at Rozelieures have selected a small 5.2-hectare plot called Blanches Terres. The barley used is Etincel, and maturation lasted just 42 months. 3,000 bottles have been released for sale. Not to be confused with another bottling, Les Limoneux, released in 2021, subtitled Clos des Champs.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, ethereal vanilla, it's airy, fresh, but also delicately herbal, a zest of lemon, cotton, jasmine, hyacinth, a very slight mineral touch, a pinch of salt, limestone, cooked egg white, light woodiness, liquid honey, green plums. On the palate, it is still uninteresting, but smooth, with breadcrumbs, mint leaves, light spices and grapefruit. The finish is fairly modest, not very long, floral, with a hint of English custard, rose water, mellow earth and dry biscuits. Cloves and cinnamon. 

 

In Short, 

I really liked the nose, which I found light, balanced and refreshing. However, the rest is well made but too young, with aromas that are not very pronounced. With a few more years and less reduction, it could be really interesting. As it stands, not really, especially as it's not that cheap. 

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Gaël Faure - Traverser l'hiver canadien

G. Rozelieures 2021 La Sous-Dicque Le Parcellaire 3 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France 

French Oak Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Rozelieures has been working with the concept of terroir for several years. They are a Single Farm Estate, which means that they sow and grow the barley, malt it themselves, distil, store the casks and bottle on site, they do everything in-house. Only Daftmill and Lochlea do the same in Scotland, and even then, not always. What's more, with this Le Parcellaire range, they select a plot of their land to grow a specific barley for a special edition. This allows us to appreciate the differences between the various bottlings in the range, depending on the soil. Here we have a 3-year-old batch from La Sous-Dicque, a small 9.5-hectare plot of clay soil located near a wood. The barley used is of the Laureate variety, and 1,500 bottles are produced. The casks are French oak, which makes me think they may be wine casks, but nothing specific is mentioned about this.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :   

Pure cereal, rough and just right, rye, wheat ears, puffed rice. This is combined with a mixture of honey and chocolate, which adds a greasy, earthy, somewhat mineral texture, dried figs, dates and cashew nuts. On the palate, there is a little more fruit, particularly citrus, grapefruit and lime, which add a touch of freshness. The cereals remain powerful, however, raw and crunchy. It is very light overall, with lychees and few spices. The finish is decent, moderately long and powerful, with warm chestnut, herbal moss, brownie dough, crushed nuts, cola. 

 

In Short, 

This is a very interesting approach, which is found in wine but never in whisky. That's why this range is worth checking out. Unfortunately, it is too young, aged just three years, and I think the fermentation was also quite short. This makes it too light on the palate, especially as it is heavily reduced. The price is obviously a little high, but it would be justified if it were just a little older.

Score : 83

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Alexandre Poulin - Entre Chien et Loup

G. Rozelieures Subtil Collection

 

 

 

40°

Bourbon, Calvados and French Virgin Oak Casks

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France 

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt

Launched in 2019

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not a big fan of Rozelieures, but as I'm a brave man, and I'm wondering whether my initial judgement was a little exaggerated, I'm going to try a little refresh. I'll start with this one, as it's not peated at all, which is very rare for this distillery. It's the result of a blend of Bourbon, Calvados and French virgin oak casks. It's neither coloured nor chill-filtered, but reduced to the maximum, which is very rare, because when whisky is less than 45° and not filtered, it has a cloudy appearance that can bother the consumer. But it tastes better, in principle.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's very cerealy and grainy, with straw and muesli, grains of rye, puffed rice, all glued together with a little honey and slightly mellowed by the cognac. Yellow fruit, mirabelle plums, Frécinette bananas, juicy pear, a little candied. Raw wood, with splinters and bits of bark. On the palate, it's too light, totally inconsistent, a little lychee if you look hard enough, vanilla, egg white. Light spices. Finish too short and not at all powerful, but not bad either, wood varnish, cream of pumpkin soup, vanilla custard, flaked almonds.

 

In Short, 

It's still better than I expected. I liked the nose, which I found very cereal-like, but the palate and finish were uninteresting. I wouldn't recommend buying it, but I wouldn't refuse a glass if someone offered it to me, it's not bad.

Score : 82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Benjamin Biolay - Juste avant de tomber

Rozelieures Zn09 Malt in France

 

 

 

54,1°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

Independent Bottling 

By Mava Spirit 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Delicately Peated

 

 

 

Zn09 launched this bottling on the occasion of Malt in France, the first trade fair dedicated to French whisky, which took place in Rennes. There are no details about the production process, the casks used or the age, just that it comes from the Grallet-Dupic distillery in Lorraine, owners of the Rozelieures brand. They've been producing and selling their own whisky since 2007, and since 2017 they've been a Single Farm Estate, meaning they control absolutely every stage of whisky making, from growing the barley, which is done on their land, to malting, distilling maturing and bottling. I know of only one other distillery that does this, and that's Daftmill in the Lowlands. In any case, this bottling is very limited and it was the talk of Malt in France, so I had to try it.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very malty, cereal-like, woody, a little alcohol-laden. Rye bread, a touch of iodine and earth, oak bark. Behind, aniseed sweetness, mirabelle plum, green apple. Cookie hot from the oven. On the palate, more rye, pinch of lemon, medlars, quince jam, chestnut cream. It remains quite woody, with discreet spices, but a hint of cumin and cardamom. Dates, banana. Fine, full-bodied finish, developing slowly, chocolate fondant, wholemeal bread crust, dried fig, sultanas. White gooseberry.

 

In Short, 

It's interesting and has personality. On the other hand, there are a few flaws, such as the hint of alcohol on the nose, but it's still a good, relatively complex whisky. To be honest, I was more than a little wary, given that I hadn't liked anything I'd tasted from Rozelieures at all. But I'm reassured. The price of the bottle is quite high, but you have to take into account the rarity of the product.

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Mano Solo - Barbès-Clichy

G. Rozelieures Tourbé Collection

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France 

Kentucky Ex-Bourbon Casks and French Limousin Finish

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2015

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 25 ppm

Founded in 1860, the Grallet family distillery in Lorraine used to produce Mirabelle brandy. In 2002, they began making whisky. By producing their own barley and opting for environmentally-friendly production methods, they have established themselves as an intelligent brand that is built to last. This peated edition is aged for around eight years before bottling.

 

Let's Taste It : 

Interesting nose, the minty notes fade quickly to make way for fairly thick peat. It's vegetal and slightly iodised at the same time. Limestone earth. Not much salt. At 25 ppm it's not very strong, I think of Talisker, without the heather or the rockiness. On the palate, a cloud of peat, which is the strongest, the vanilla recedes into the background. Slightly pungent, with cloves and pepper. The finish at 46° is quite worthy, long and carbonated. Dry earth, oak leaves.

 

In Short, 

The peat is effective in masking the minor flaws of this still young distillery, but full of good intentions and creativity, and therefore promising. On the other hand, the quality/price ratio is misplaced.

Score : 81  

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

                                           Bernard Lavilliers - Stand The Ghetto

G. Rozelieures Rare Collection

 

 

 

40°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France

Ex-Cognac, 1st Fill Sherry and Ex-Sauternes Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Edited in 2014

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 6 ppm

Founded in 1860, the Grallet family distillery in Lorraine used to produce Mirabelle brandy. In 2002, they began making whisky. By producing their own barley and opting for environmentally-friendly production methods, they have established themselves as an intelligent brand that is built to last. This limited edition Rare Collection was first produced in 2014, and a 2nd batch was offered in 2018. This is the one I was given to taste. It has been aged for four to five years.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is similar to that of the Origine Collection from the same distillery. Malty and slightly minty, it is fresh, with a certain fullness, tarragon, aniseed. Wheat, cereals, exotic spices. On the palate, the Sauternes finish adds a little extra, a certain richness that moves towards white fruit, juicy pear. Smoother and quite pleasant. Vanilla, malt, cereals. The finish is as mediocre as ever, though, short and astringent, with just a hint of oak. This is regrettable.

In Short, 

The Sauternes casks save the product a bit, but the finish is painful and leaves a bad memory. Well done for the nose and for this fine blend, now they'll have to deal with the finish.

Score : 80

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Christophe - Océan d'Amour

G. Rozelieures Origine Collection

 

 

 

40°

Distillery : Grallet-Dupic - France 

Ex-Cognac and 1st Fill Fino Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2007

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 6 ppm

 

 

 

Founded in 1860, the Grallet family distillery in Lorraine used to produce Mirabelle brandy. In 2002, they began making whisky. By producing their own barley and opting for environmentally-friendly production methods, they have established themselves as an intelligent brand that is built to last. Their first expression, launched in 2007, is this Origine Collection, which marked the beginning of their success. Today it is the 2nd largest distillery in France in terms of volume. It's a lightly peated whisky aged for three to four years.

Let's Taste It : 

Pleasant, malty, slightly minty nose. Fresh, with a certain fullness, tarragon, aniseed. Cereals, wheat, barley, millet. I'm reminded of the spices served at the end of meals in Indian restaurants. On the palate, it's a bit young though, vanilla, rather cereal-like limestone earth, it's not very original, but it comes through. The finish is mediocre, too aggressive for me, cheesy, astringent and fairly short. Just a few splinters of wood in retro-olfaction, but barely.

In Short, 

The liquid is certainly fragrant, but far too young for my taste. The most difficult thing to master in whisky, the finish, is completely lacking here. I'm sorry to say it, but despite some good points, this product betrays a lack of experience and know-how.

Score : 79

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                          La Rue Kétanou - L'Ardoise