Single Malt Whisky, France
In 2023, the Ninkasi brewery and distillery founded in Lyon in 1997 opened a new production site in Tarare, in the Rhône region of France. The site is located in a listed UNESCO World Geopark and equipped with a pair of traditional charentais stills and two new Honoré stills forlow-temperature distillation. This version distilled in 2018 was matured in casks previously used for the Hungarian sweet white wine tokay. With exceptional richness and density, it reveals superb yellow and orange tones reflected in oxidative, honey and oriental notes.
TASTING NOTES
Nose : full, rich. Syrupy fragrances of walnut, apricot and cherry evoke the worlds of tokay wine and Jura vin de paille. The oriental and honey aromas that appear once allowed to breathe invite us to bite into oriental pastries (makroudh, zlabia).
Appearance : Dark amber.
Palate : dense, oxidative. Star anise kicks off a plentiful palate that one by one reveals herbaceous (liquorice), spicy (nutmeg, grey pepper), oxidative (raisin) and fruity (strawberry, melon) tones. Aeration also brings heat that peps up the tasting.
Overall : generous, complex. Raisin, cranberry and yellow wine notes echo the oxidative tone of the mid-palate. Honey tea brings the finish warmth and richness. Stunning tannins are revealed in the slightly bitter after-taste.