“Voyage Voyage”
Whisky Review # 988
Country: France 🇫🇷
Region: Alsace
Brand: Welche's Whisky
Distilled at: G. Miclo, Lapoutroie, France
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Probably Around 3 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Ex-Sauternes Casks (Sweet French Wine)
Maturation: Ex-Sauternes Casks (Sweet French Wine)
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by Jan from The Netherlands. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 35-45 (May 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Okay.
Buying Advice: 😐 Not for everyday but certainly worth the try
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Okay.
Buying Advice: 😐 Not for everyday but certainly worth the try
Colour: Amber (Natural Color)
Nose:
Young and Sweet. Not unlike a Fruit Liqueur. The Sauternes cask is quite present. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing. Lots of Fresh and Dried Fruits. There's a bit of rather pushy Perfume as well. Still, not bad all things considered.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Bread Dough, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricots and Sultanas, Mandarin, Papaya Cream with Cassis, Strong Floral Perfume, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Tobacco.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Pastry made with a mix of Butter and Margarine, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Orange, Ripe Banana, Nougat, Nutella, Cognac and White Pepper.
Palate:
Young & mostly Sweet in the beginning but with developing Bitterness for balance. It tastes like a mix of Whisky, Bourbon, Brandy & Slivovitz. Well-made though. Just don't compare it to Scotch Single Malt. It's a different animal. The Alcohol is more noticeable now.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Dried Apricot, Mandarin, Floral Perfume/Soap, Nougat, Dusty Casks, Slivovitz, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pepper.
Nose:
Young and Sweet. Not unlike a Fruit Liqueur. The Sauternes cask is quite present. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing. Lots of Fresh and Dried Fruits. There's a bit of rather pushy Perfume as well. Still, not bad all things considered.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Bread Dough, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricots and Sultanas, Mandarin, Papaya Cream with Cassis, Strong Floral Perfume, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Tobacco.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Pastry made with a mix of Butter and Margarine, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Orange, Ripe Banana, Nougat, Nutella, Cognac and White Pepper.
Young & mostly Sweet in the beginning but with developing Bitterness for balance. It tastes like a mix of Whisky, Bourbon, Brandy & Slivovitz. Well-made though. Just don't compare it to Scotch Single Malt. It's a different animal. The Alcohol is more noticeable now.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Dried Apricot, Mandarin, Floral Perfume/Soap, Nougat, Dusty Casks, Slivovitz, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pepper.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Toffee, Buttered Pastry, Orange, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Mizunara Oak, Glue, Grappa, Ripe Banana, Caffe Latte and Tobacco.
Finish:
Bitter-Sweet, a little Thin and on the Short side. Its Youth is more noticeable and so is the Alcohol. It reminds me a bit of Slivovitz. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Cream, Buttered Pastry, Milk Chocolate, Poire Williams, Plums, Mandarins, Dusty Oak, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom and Licorice.
Drinking Advice:
Due to the size of the sample I only tasted this Welche's Whisky neat.
Conclusion:
Gilbert Miclo founded the distillery in 1962. It soon specialized in quality Brandies and Fruit Liqueurs, aided by the huge amount of fruit trees in the region. They represent about half of the 200.000 bottles produced annually. The rest is flavored vodka (introduced in the early 2010's) and Single Malt Whisky that was added to the portfolio in 2016. The third generation of the family entered the company in 2009. Miclo's products are often found in Michelin star restaurants.
Honey, Toffee, Buttered Pastry, Orange, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Mizunara Oak, Glue, Grappa, Ripe Banana, Caffe Latte and Tobacco.
Bitter-Sweet, a little Thin and on the Short side. Its Youth is more noticeable and so is the Alcohol. It reminds me a bit of Slivovitz. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Cream, Buttered Pastry, Milk Chocolate, Poire Williams, Plums, Mandarins, Dusty Oak, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom and Licorice.
Drinking Advice:
Due to the size of the sample I only tasted this Welche's Whisky neat.
Rating: 7 (*******)
Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7 - Finish: 6
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good
Conclusion:
Gilbert Miclo founded the distillery in 1962. It soon specialized in quality Brandies and Fruit Liqueurs, aided by the huge amount of fruit trees in the region. They represent about half of the 200.000 bottles produced annually. The rest is flavored vodka (introduced in the early 2010's) and Single Malt Whisky that was added to the portfolio in 2016. The third generation of the family entered the company in 2009. Miclo's products are often found in Michelin star restaurants.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this Single Malt. Yes, it's different when compared to Scotch Single Malt but that's okay. You can taste the Miclo history in this Whisky as it does remind me of Fruit Liqueur from time to time, amplified by the use of the Sauternes cask. I would certainly love to try a Welche's Single Malt Whisky that matured for 12 years or so in an Ex-Bourbon cask. In any case this little French distillery is certainly going in the right direction with their products!
Cheers! 🥃
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