Whiskey Reviews by WhiskeyNose

As I stated in my last post, I was able to meet and interview Allison Patel of Brenne French Single Malt Whisky a few days ago. Previous to that meeting we heard about Brenne at one of our favorite liquor stores in the Nashville area, Red Spirits and Wine. Mrs. Whiskeynose was with me during that visit. When she took a sip of the sample pour, she turned to me and said, “Oh, we’re buying a bottle of that!” Who can say “No” to the wife wanting to buy a bottle of whisky?

All of the reaction that I’ve heard about Brenne has been very similar to my wife’s. It’s definitley not Scotch – ‘too smoky’, it’s not Bourbon – ‘too sweet’. While it is sweet, it’s very well balanced with the fruit overtones and the subtle spice and oak undertones. It is very much like, well, nothing else out there. That’s because it is distilled in the same manner as cognac.  Be sure to read my interview with Allison Patel to get the full story of her whisky and to understand why this whisky is perfect for her.

Here is my review of Brenne French Single Malt Whisky Estate Cask.

Packaging:
I decided a while back to not add the packaging into the reviews anymore. However, I really like this label so I thought I should do this last one. The label is elegant and straightforward, not trying to be pompous or pretentious. I love the subtle Fleur-De-Lis on the label. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana originally. If you have ever been there then you may have noticed that the Fleur-De-Lis is everywhere, so I love finding it in other places.

Nose:
Neat: Extremely complex. Very fruity. I actually had a hard time picking out individual fruit aromas due to the complexity. Banana jumps out at me, and I was able to pick out apple, vanilla and a hint of clove. Also, I’m not sure why, but when I smelled this pour, the first thing that came to mind was pralines. It could be the caramel undertone from the charred oak barrel.

Few drops of water: Toned down the overall sweet but kicked up the vanilla and spice. Much better sense of caramel now too.

Taste:
Neat: Very similar to the nose; Fruity with more orange peel and a touch more spice. Hint of chocolate and a very vague hint of oak and leather on the end.

Few drops of water: No, don’t do that. No water in this whisky! With only a few drops of water the pleasant taste was blunted. The alcohol has a more prominent taste and almost overtakes everything else. No need for water here.

Finish: The sweet fruit and vanilla is quick to disappear into more spice before leaving completely. It doesn’t stick around too long…actually I wish it would stick around a little longer.

This whisky can be fantastic as a nightcap or, even better, as an after dinner drink. I can’t see mixing this with anything, and like I wrote earlier…NO WATER!

Brenne French Single Malt Whisky gets a 9.7 out of 10 Noses! It is so unique, and so very well done that you have to stand up and notice this whisky. Because of it’s Cognac heritage, I suggest sipping a pour from a Cognac snifter rather than a single malt glass or a tumbler. You can thank me later.

Have you been able to try Brenne Estate Cask? What did you think? Leave your comments below and let’s start the discussion.

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