Alfred Giraud Harmonie French Malt Whisky
Product Details
Distiller Notes
2021 San Francisco World Spirits Double Gold Medal Winner
A very limited-production whisky dependent on the availability of exceptional casks, Harmonie begins with a blend of three non-peated French malt distillates matured in three types of casks: mainly those recently used to age extra old cognac plus new casks made of French oak and American white oak. The triple malt is then matured exclusively in ex-extra old cognac casks, then blended with a lightly peated French malt distillate before being returned to the same ex-extra old cognac casks, where it ages for years, until reaching the optimal flavor profile.
Natural and intense, deep copper color. Aromas of pastry and grains. Delicately smoky. Both delicate and powerful, without flexing its muscles, before becoming assertive yet restrained and majestic. The silky texture allows all the flavors to develop: sweet spices, juicy grapes, delicately woody, supported by silky peat. The finish is long, very long. One feels the elegant tannins of the wood of extra old cognac casks, with a slight hint of smoke.
The Giraud Family were coopers and cellar masters from 1875 to 1990. In 1910, Louis Giraud began working for a prestigious "maison de cognac" overseeing the ageing of their eaux de vie. His son Alfred Giraud, and later his grandson André Giraud, succeeded him as Cellar Masters until 1990.
Breaking with tradition, 5th generation Philippe Giraud, joined a renowned producer of Scotch whisky in 1995. Drawing from his passions, he later created Alfred Giraud French Malt Whisky to celebrate his heritage and push the boundaries of whisky exploration and innovation.
Maison Giraud is a family-owned, fully independent whisky House which controls the production from barley selection to glass. It draws on its own malting facility, allowing tracing of the French barley and customization of the malting process to their requirements. The distillery of Saint Palais, with its own milling and mashing facility. André Giraud's expertise in wood and ageing techniques, as well as his Limousin oak forestry operation. Alfred Giraud also draws on the expertise of a family of master blenders and renowned Cellar Master Georges Clot.
What Whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for.
Coming in a multitude of styles depending on its origin, Whisk(e)y’s flavors range across the board from the sweet, caramel and vanilla-dominated American Bourbons to the briny, peat-heavy Islay Single Malts from Scotland. Though production methods differ widely, all Whiskeys are made by distilling beer made from some type of grain, such as barley, corn, wheat or rye. After the distillation process is complete, the new, clear spirit is transferred to wooden casks where it matures, a process that can take up to thirty years or more.