French Whisky makers Armorik have launched a new, heavily peated single malt Whisky, dubbed Yeun Elez. The Brittany-based distillery named their new offering after a swamp considered in Breton legends as the Gateway to Hell.
Distilled, matured and bottled at the Distillerie Warenghem, in Brittany, France, Armorik Yeun Elez is a Breton Whisky made from peated (50ppm) malted barley from Scotland. Coming in at 46% ABV, It’s “a peaty variation of our single malt Armorik,” says the distillery, who uses local water in all of their Whiskies. The name Yeun Elez comes from an old peat bog located in the heart of the Armorique Natural Park, which is also home to many Breton legends.
According to the Yeun Elez legend reported by Anatole le Braz in 1893, it is the place where the evil souls who haunted the living were thrown into hell. Tadic-Coz, knew the secret and the ritual of locking the souls of ghosts in the body of a black dog. He instructed young Jobic to guide the dog towards the underworld gates. The latter, going from presbytery to presbytery, led the black dog to the rector of Commana. Together, at sunset, they threw the black dog into the Yeun Elez swamp, condemning the ghost to hell.
A pale yellow in color, the Whisky offers aromas of camphor and cloves along with notes of bananas, cooked peaches, and creamy pastry. On the palate smoked balances with fresh citrus and a hint of salinity. The spicy finish lingers with notes of wood.
Armorik is one of the few French distilleries currently exporting to the United States, but as of the moment the Whisky is yet to make its way across the Atlantic and there has been no announcement on when that might happen. If you’d like to purchase another bottle of Armorik, head over to Drizly to get a bottle delivered to your door.
