After Monday’s quartet of Bowmore, we stay firmly in peated territory with two Kornog: a Sauternes Cask Finish and the 2008 bottling for Wu Dram Clan. Kornog is the peated single malt produced by Celtic Whisky Distillerie, a small coastal operation based in Pleubian, Brittany in France, that we had the chance to visit a few years ago. Their unpeated spirit is released under the Glann Ar Mor label. It is a distillery that wears its Breton identity proudly, and these two expressions promise to show just how characterful its smoky side can be.
Kornog Sauternes Finish (2022) Review
This is a peated Breton single malt from Celtic Whisky Distillerie, finished in Sauternes casks and bottled in 2022 at cask strength, with an outturn of 815 bottles filled at 54.8% ABV. This release is sold out.
Colour:
Amber.
Nose:
Neat: An enveloping, coastal peat cloud: beach fire, sea spray, dried seaweed and warm smoky driftwood. Beneath the smoke lie floral and fruity notes – honeyed almonds, yellow stone fruits, wild berries and a touch of white grapes and raisins from the Sauternes. Hints of ginger, shortbread, light honey and a faint coniferous forest nuance add complexity without overwhelming the peat.
With water: A little water highlights the floral and honeyed side: more almonds, honey, and soft yellow fruits, while the peat becomes a shade less aggressive and the Sauternes fruit reads slightly brighter.
Palate:
Neat: The palate starts with assertive peat smoke, with smoked ham and smoked strawberries, quickly converting its strength into spreading heat. Acacia honey, almonds, hazelnuts and toffee roll in, joined by café au lait, nougat and notes of white grape and raisin cake that quietly betray the Sauternes cask. There is a dense, oily texture with earthy peat and coastal salinity, keeping the sweetness in check.
With water: The texture turns rounder and slightly creamier, with the powerful but gourmand peat better integrated into the fruity, nutty sweetness; white grapes and soft raisins are easier to pick out. Spice (ginger, pepper) is toned down, giving a smoother, more balanced sip.
Finish:
Medium to long, peat‑smoky and maritime, with dried seaweed, sea salt, pepper and lingering strawberries and raisins. Ginger warmth and a slightly sooty, date‑like sweetness echo late, alongside a touch of nougat and dark chocolate.
Comments:
This Kornog is a beautifully judged marriage of the distillery’s coastal peat and the gentle sweetness lent by the Sauternes cask finish. The result is a very fine peated whisky – and easily one of the standout French peat-driven bottlings I’ve tried so far.
Rating: 7.5/10
Kornog 2018 for Wu Dram Clan (2025) Review
Our second Kornog was distilled in September 2018. It matured for 6 years in a first-fill ex-bourbon barrel #01861 at Celtic Whisky Distillerie. This peated Breton single malt was selected by Wu Dram Clan and bottled in July 2025 with a limited outturn of 229 bottles, filled at 56.9% ABV. This is unfortunately sold out.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: Powerful coastal peat opens with green olives, brine, dried seaweed and mineral ashes, layered over preserved lemons, rhubarb and hay-like freshness. Tropical fruit emerges – roasted pineapple, ripe bananas, and guava – alongside smoky butter, gentle florals and a faint antiseptic edge reminiscent of classic Bowmore.
With water: Peat softens to reveal brighter tropical pineapple, bananas and lemon freshness, with enhanced vanilla cream and reduced dusty grain.
Palate:
Neat: Creamy yet prickly arrival with salinity, smoked barley husks, lemon pith, guava and peppery olive oil, hitting a surprising grapefruit-oyster punch. Passion fruit, creamy orange, antiseptics, heather, pine herbs and salted caramel build intensity, with vegetal oils and burnt citrus adding maritime heft.
With water: Spice integrates for creamier citrus, guava and passion fruit, with brine, herbs and oak char more balanced and less aggressive.
Finish:
Medium long and coastal, with charred lemon, Band-Aids, gentle smoke and lingering pepper amid slivers of oak char and herbal saltiness.
Comments:
An absolutely stunning Kornog, showing noticeably bolder peat on both the nose and palate than the Sauternes-finished version. It comes across even smokier than other Kornog bottlings I’ve tried over the years and is, without a doubt, one of the very best – simply superb.