Celebrated for champagne, claret and cognac, the French are not known for their savoir-faire in producing whisky – but that could be about to change.
The French are seeking to exploit their winemaking expertise to make whiskies with distinctively Gallic aromas.
The French knock back more whisky per head than any other nation, with the average consumption by an adult in France at 2.15 litres a year, according to the Euromonitor research agency.
Uruguay is second, the US third, and the UK trails in seventh place with 1.25 litres.
Whiskies are often matured in oak casks previously used for sherry or bourbon as a way of enriching the flavour, but French producers are starting to age whiskies in old wine barrels to enhance the bouquet.
French Federation of Whisky Producers president Philippe Jugé said: “We’re introducing wine barrels gradually. You can’t go too fast when you’re introducing consumers to new flavours.
“Whisky matured in red wine barrels doesn’t taste good, so you’ve got to use white wine barrels, generally sweet wines like Sauternes or straw wines [made from grapes dried to concentrate their juice].”
Another consideration, he added, is wine barrels cost more than bourbon barrels.
France produced its first whisky in 1987 at the Warenghem distillery in Brittany, a north-western region proud of its Celtic heritage.
The country now has 33 whisky distilleries, with another 30 due to come on stream as soon as their spirits have matured in barrels for the minimum three years required by law for Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey.
Sales of French whisky have quadrupled from 215,000 bottles in 2010, to more than 800,000 in 2017. Most is for domestic consumption, with less than 10% being exported.
Warenghem CEO David Roussier said: “At the beginning people told us we were crazy, saying things like ’Whisky isn’t a French product’. First we made a blend to be sold in supermarkets, but now we can allow ourselves to be more original with more sophisticated single malts.”
Ninety per cent of French whiskies are single malts, , with producers aiming for “the high end of the market“, according to Jugé. However, whisky made in France only accounts for 0.4% of total sales.
The overwhelming majority of whiskies sold in France are cheaper blended varieties imported from Scotland and marketed under brand names such as Label 5, William Lawson or Clan Campbell, which are unknown outside France.
French producers are optimistic they can increase their market share.
“The global demand for whisky is greater than supply, which is why prices have doubled or tripled in the past 20 years,” Jugé said.
The French are hoping to emulate the success of Japanese whisky, which has won over international connoisseurs in the past two decades.
Christophe Fargier, of the Ninkasi brewery in Lyon, which recently launched its first whisky, said: “France can make very good whiskies because it has all the necessary raw materials – barley, malt and pure water – as well as expertise in distillation and ageing of cognac, other spirits and, of course, wine.
“France is home to three of the world’s largest producers of malt, a mix of germinated grains used to make whisky. The country holds two of four European Union licences for whiskies produced under a “Protected Geographical Indication”. - The Telegraph