Kornog Taouarc’h Kentan - First Release

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Art: Single Malt
Region: Bretagne/Frankreich
Abfüller: Originalabfüllung

Alter: 3 Jahre und 4 Monate
Brenndatum: ----
Abfülldatum: 2009
Fasstyp: Bourbon Cask
Fassnummer: ----
Alkohol: 57,1 %vol (Fassstärke)
Preis: ~75 €
Limitiert auf 244 Flaschen

Färbung: Nein
Kühlfilterung: Nein

Whiskybase

Kornog 'Taouarc'h Kentan' (57.1%, OB, Glann ar Mor Distillery, Brittany) Kornog is the peated version of Glann ar Mor
and this one is the first cask ever bottled. The malt had been peated to 35ppm, distilled in traditional direct-fired (hear, hear)
pot stills and matured for a little more than three years in a bourbon barrel in the distillery’s warehouse on Brittany’s north coast.
Two famous professional tasters – sorry, no names - have already tried it and were flabbergasted.
Colour: straw.
Nose: the first two words that come to mind are ‘balance’ and ‘freshness’ – and peat, of course. Kind of a slightly cleaner
version of a seven or eight years old Ardbeg, with something medicinal (embrocations, bandages), obvious whiffs of sea breeze,
iodine and seaweed and a light fruitiness that reminds me of a very good cider. There’s also some wax, a little engine oil, fresh
walnuts and almonds and just touches of vanilla. With water: more marzipan and fresh putty like in some much, much older Islayers,
even a little camphor. It gets also more widely phenolic, with a little turpentine, ink and diesel oil. Funny hints of bergamot in the
background.
Mouth (neat): excellent attack, balanced once again but potent, with more fruits than on the nose (hints of pineapple and pear
drops that come from its young age, maybe even kiwi) and kind of a sweet peatiness that makes it very quaffable at cask strength,
provided you like peat. Notes of oysters that remind me of Caol Ila this time, and quite some salt too. Smoked salted almonds.
With water: more pine resin, maybe from the wood, as well as a little lemon and quite some marzipan.
Finish: long, mostly peaty and resinous, which makes for a beautiful combo. Some lemon and salt in the aftertaste.
Comments: a brilliant achievement, too bad there’s only one cask (a general release at 46% abv will be out in November).
More Islay-like than all Scottish Islay-like Highlanders in my view, highly recommended if you enjoy seriously peated whiskies
and if you can find it! SGP:447 October 1. 2009 - 87 points.