Domaine de la Pèze is located in the Aveyron (France). On the ancient estate they have a deer farm. For this they already harvested grains, so in 2019 they decided to also move into whisky distillation.
La Pèze seems to mention the harvest on the label, rather than the vintage of the spirit. In this case it says Moisson 2021. Two-row Calypso barley was harvested in 2021 from their Mas de Costes plot on the estate. This was distilled in their 10hl direct-fired still. It’s a hybrid still made by Sofac in the Armagnac region, using a ten-plate column in a single run.
Cask influence is deliberately kept low. The whisky matures mostly in ex-cognac barrels from the same house (Lhéraud) and cooper. With only around ten barrels filled each year, production remains extremely small.
The whisky we’re trying today comes from three cognac casks, all filled in February 2023 and bottled after three years of maturation.
Domaine de la Pèze 2023 ‘Moyssou 2021’ (46%, OB 2026)
Nose: rather high-pitched, with lots of lemon peels and fresh botanicals, like juniper and fennel seeds, along with mint and floral touches, reminding me of gin at first. After that it becomes a tad sweeter, with mild peaches and pears, quinces and some plain bready notes. Hints of plum eau-de-vie as well. It’s a young spirit but the freshness is really nice.
Mouth: rather lightweight, with a similar mix of bright botanicals and pleasant fruitiness. Mirabelles, apricots and hints of candied citrus peels. Perhaps it’s closer to some very young cognacs I could try than to Scotch whisky. Then a subtle sweet grassy note, more lemons and a hint of anise.
Finish: rather short, with pastry sweetness and light malty notes.
First of all, this very young whisky is hardly comparable to Scotch single malts due to the single-pass column distillation. There’s a cognac side to it (not sure it’s the still type or simply the casks), but I also find some gin-like botanicals. If you approach it with an open mind, then the fruitiness and overall drinkability are really pleasant. Available from the La Pèze website.