Bastille Single Malt
Whisky : Bastille Single Malt
Country/Region : France
ABV : 43%
Cask : Limousin Oak
Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home
Nose : Opens with the floral smell of a bouquet of spring flowers followed by the slightly sweet, salty funk of a parmesan cheese rind. The sweetness reminds me of a yeasty dough after a first rise. Coming back to the nose a bit later on there is a greater emphasis on the sweet, smoke of brûléed or roasted stone fruits.
Palate : Sweetness of green wood or fresh young oak. There is a rougher element of kerosene or wood varnish present which gives it an odd smokiness. However, the flavors settled over time to vanilla and black liquorish or the fake fruity flavor of rose or almond syrup. There is more heat here than I would expect from a pretty standard 43% abv.
Finish : Medium but quiet, a mellow damp floral or subdued vanilla custard lingers. A bit of white pepper hangs around. Its the sort of finish you only pick up if you are looking for it or taking your time with the dram.
Score : 5
Mental Image : A cheese cellar. The sweet, floral, smokey funk of aging cheese is not overly drawn out in the dram, but its present enough to remind me of standing in a cellar, looking at all the rounds, wondering how far I would make it if I grabbed one and ran.
Something Better : Michel Couvreur Overaged Single Malt (more floral/fruity almond, more refined, less strictly French)
Something Similar : Victome 8 Year (also French, more fruity cognac influence, less savory)
Something Worse : Brenne Single Malt (more sweet, more artificial fruit notes, more harsh alcohol notes)
Notes : I assume some of the interesting notes are coming from the Limousin Oak, at least some of which I believe were ex-cognac casks. Overall I would say that the Bastille Single Malt is far better than its Blended brother— and the price is almost twice as much. I got this as a Christmas present and I have enjoyed it so far. It is more of a fun novelty whisky to break out for a tasting as the ‘French Whisky,’ than it is something I would drink on the daily or for special occasions. Once the bottle is done, it probably won’t be replaced; for one its not available locally (though the Blended is), and the value just isn’t quite there (unless perhaps it was discounted on sale). It’s promising for the future if Bastille has other single malt projects aging.
