SINGLE malt whiskies from France and Japan are among the recent releases from independent bottler Berry Bros & Rudd.
While the company’s latest batch of bottlings included eight bottles from Scotch whisky distilleries, the business also ventured further afield to find some unusual spirits from elsewhere in the world.
The French whisky, from Glann ar Mor Distillery in Brittany, is a peated single malt distilled in 2006 under the brand name Kornog (the distillery also produces an unpeated single malt under the Glann ar Mor name). It is said to be the oldest Kornog cask to have been bottled so far.
Bottled at 50.9% ABV, the Kornog single malt is described as having notes of plums, caramelised pears and smoke on the nose and flavours of banoffee pie and fruit.
The Kornog release is joined by a single malt from Japanese distillery Chichibu.
Described as a rare whisky from one of Japan’s most ‘in-demand’ distilleries, the Chichibu was distilled in 2014 and bottled at 57.6% ABV.
It is said to have aromas of ripe mango and lime juice on the nose with flavours of dried malt, fresh citrus and apricot yoghurt developing on the palate.
Doug McIvor, reserve spirits manager at Berry Bros & Rudd, said the company’s releases are ‘centred around celebrating the finest quality spirits and producers from around the world’.
He added that the company was ‘especially honoured to be granted access to the rare liquid that is Japanese whisky’.
“Given its rising popularity in recent years, we were thrilled to accept a cask from Chichibu, not only for its rarity but outstanding quality,” said McIvor.
The other bottlings in the most recent batch include whiskies from Blair Athol, Dailuaine, Linkwood, Williamson and Glen Garioch.
Outside of the whisky sphere, there is also a Fiji rum distilled in 2010.
