In July of 2010 I wrote a profile of the Glann ar Mor Distillery in France. (Click here for original story.)

Since then master distiller and co-owner Jean Donnay has been busy, but managed to get a few samples off to the BUMS for sampling.

Glann ar Mor, which means “By The Sea,” is a very small distillery on the northern coast of Brittany turning out some outstanding whisky.

The samples we tasted are:

1) Glann Ar Mor 1an Gwech 10 (First Bottling 2010), 46%,

2) Kornog (West Wind) 5vet Diezha Bloaz (5th Anniversary), 46% and the

3) Kornog Taouarc’h Kentan (First Peat) single cask, 57.1%.

aged in ex-Bourbon casks. The Kornog bottlings are made from peated Scottish barley and are also aged in ex-bourbon casks. The barley is peated to a level of 35-40 ppm of phenol.

Fellow BUM, Bill, and I tasted in the order listed below. We were both very impressed with these young whiskies. To-date all bottlings are a tad over three years old.

Glann Ar Mor 1an Gwech 10 46% ABV

On the nose: Floral, light banana, caramel, light pineapple, plums, and cream

On the palate: Oaky, creamy, red pepper spicy, dark chocolate, tart blackberry.

I’d rate this on the high end of 80-85.

Kornog 5vet Diezha Bloaz 46% ABV

On the nose: Bacon, peat smoke, slight acetone

On the palate: Chewy, oily, gentle peat, light red and white pepper spicy, caramel

A very drying finish. With water creamier and spicier.

Rating: 85-90

Kornog Taouarc’h Kentan 57.1% ABV

On the nose: Light smokiness, grilled meat, floral, Cream of Wheat cereal, pears, seaweed

On the palate: red pepper spicy, sweet caramel, milk chocolate, saltiness, and tamed smokiness

With water, kicked-up spiciness and vanilla sweetness.

Rating: Top end of 85-90

Jim Murray, in his 2011 Whisky Bible rates the Taouarc’h Kentan 94.5.

Discussing the nose he says, “Now when was the last time I came across peat this delicate yet profound?

A glorious chocolate note mixes imperiously with the drifting smoke; the sweet dry ratio can not be bettered.” Regarding taste he says, “Sizable oil on delivery but it brings with it malt on two fabulous levels. Just ahead of the other is a standard, juicy, biscuit barley, then directly behind arrives the charmingly weighted peat; the middle ground is filled with a chocolate toffee biscuit…but enveloped in light smoke.”

According to Jean the Kornog Taourc’h Kentan is now gone from store shelves, and he thinks there may only be a few bottles of Kornog 5vet Diezha Bloaz (Fifth Anniversary) still around in shops in France.

Glann ar Mor is not currently available in the US, but it can be shipped to the US from The Whisky Exchange website.

In Europe Glann ar Mor and Kornog are available here:

* In France (retailers + the Glann Ar Mor webshop, www.tregorwhisky.com)

* In Italy (from Velier - www.velier.it)

1. *In The Netherlands (from Van Wees - www.whiskyworld.nl)
   

Latest Release

“Avant-premiere”

The breaking news from the Glann ar Mor Distillery is that coming soon, probably in mid-May, Jean will be bottling a one-off single cask/cask strength Kornog. I have to say having tasted the Taouarc’h Kentan cask strength, that this would be a bottling worth having.

Cheers to Jean and Martine, his wife and business partner, on continuing the good work and good whisky in Breton!