
November 10, 2016

Alpine whisky

Domaine des Hautes Glaces is one of the best news that happened to the whisky world in recent years. In a way, what they’re doing is the right opposite of what the whisky industry as a whole is heading to, that is to say less transparency, less information, less traceability, and more branding and lifestyle/experience. Whenever I hear the word ‘lifestyle’, I take out my gun - right, I have no gun - and feel the need to issue a BS alert! Which is obviously not the case today…

Domaine des Hautes Glaces 4 yo 2011/2016 ‘Tekton’ (52.1%, OB, France, 271 bottles)

This is pure own-estate single malt. It’s been aged in a cask of Saint-Joseph from the Rhône Valley, but we don’t know whether it was red or white Saint-Joseph. What we know is that everything was organic, from barley to bottling. Colour: gold. Nose: very dry, very cerealy, very nutty, and the wine was most probably white, and dry. Tobacco, dry herbal teas, wallflowers, artisanal mustard, then more turpentine and pinesap, possibly from the cask. Some smoke too (pine wood smoke). Very austere, and quite beautiful. With water: some very dry ale. Barnyard and walnut skins. Mouth (neat): yeah. A feeling of rye, some ginger, some sloe, juniper, caraway, wholegrain bread… And many more spices, including aniseed. Sometimes you would think your crunching some Alsatian cookies called anis bredala. And mendiant (beggar’s cake). With water: amazing how it got sweeter and creamier, with raisin cakes and a touch of cinnamon mint. Echoes of that wee distillery on the other side of the planet, their arch-alter ego Westland. Finish: long and superbly bready. Less spicy, and rather smoother than expected. Smoky aftertaste. Comments: a dry wonder. It’ll become a true grand cru of whisky, provided they manage to keep some casks for further aging. SGP:462 - 87 points.

Domaine des Hautes Glaces 2011/2016 ‘Ceros’ (53.3%, OB, France, rye, 2016)

This own-estate organic rye was matured in ex-vin jaune cask. As you probably know, vin jaune from Jura is akin to fino sherry, except that it’s neither fortified nor solera-ed. And it’s savagnin instead of palomino. BTW I already adored last year’s edition of Ceros (WF 88). Colour: pale gold. Nose: even drier and more austere than the Tekton, as dry as a vin jaune indeed. Remember vin jaune hasn’t got the slightest amount of sugar, it’s bone dry. Other than that, we’re having a perfect gingery ryeness, some earth, and some roots. Turnips and beetroots, perhaps turmeric. With water: some ashes, burnt bread, and bitter orange skin. Mouth (neat): amazing, with some lemon, some dry burnt Demerara sugar, and something close to tequila. And above all, some perfect bread. The lemony side keeps it much fresher. With water: gloriously fresh and deep. Touches of chestnut honey, perhaps. Finish: long, on gingerbread. Comments: gotta love this subtle crafted spiciness. SGP:561 - 89 points.

PS: I don’t quite know what to think about the fact that the Domaine des Hautes Glaces was just, apparently, bought by Rémy Cointreau (they also own Bruichladdich). The news broke out after we did this petite tasting, we’ll see…