Glann ar Mor ‘Only Rye’ (46%, Celtic Whisky Compagnie, single malt, France, 2015) This is very interesting, it’s one of Glann ar Mor’s latest – and last - bottlings, distilled from malted rye in Pleubian, Brittany. It’s also so sad that that the little Formula One of French whisky will stop working on August 15 this year. Ha, bureaucracy and lobbies, always a nasty combination! Colour: gold. Nose: it’s got this breadiness that I love so much, and I cannot not think of Sonoma’s rye whiskey. So wholegrain bread, ginger, fennel seeds, salted butter caramel, a touch of brioche, this very peculiar soapiness that’s often to be found in good ryes – and that’s not really soapy, rather soap-like, in a good way. I also find touches of lavender flowers (again, not lavender eau-de-toilette, or air-freshener). I find this very aromatic and really très beau. I mean, very nice. Mouth: creamy, oily, bready, and, above all, very spicy. Much spicier than most American, Canadian, or even European ryes. Very good stuff, provided you enjoy heavy liquorice, caraway, cumin, ginger, poppy seeds, and nutmeg. And cardamom. What also works very well is the sweetness that coats all these spices, the buttered caramel, the faint saltiness, the lavender sweets, the zesty grapefruits and tangerines… Finish: long, with this feeling of pumpernickel covered with Monsieur Bordier’s (oh forget) salted butter. Or his seaweed-flavoured one. Also love the citrusy signature. A minimal touch of sawdust. Lovely bready/spicy retro-olfaction. Comments: one the very excellent young ryes out there. Love good rye. Let’s only hope it won’t become a collectable bottling – if you see what I mean. This just cannot end. SGP:471 - 87 points.