Following a desire for change, and with a will to create, Eric came up with the idea of producing his own Whisky. Anne-Hélène, his wife, drawn to the land and to local craftmanship, supported him in this marvelous project: the production of a Single Malt Whisky, both Organic and french!
They draw from their dream all the patience, tenacity and strong will. It took them two and a half years to find the perfect place : In Saint-Jean-en-Royans, in the Vercors region, they discovered a corner of nature, with the Lyonne river flowing through endless fields : it will be providing pure, clear water. A little further, the remains of an old farm stood beside other fields where malt will grow.
In the 18th century, the fortified farm was used for silkworm breeding : it then has to be complelety renovated, before any alambic or any vat can even be installed. Everything has to be done on site : brewing, fermenting, distilling, ageing and bottling. But Eric and Anne-Hélène are passionate and determined.
They want their whisky to be subtle and elegant : in a real stroke of genius, Eric borrowed to the perfume industry their technique of vacuum distillation. The lower the temperature, and the slower the distillation, the more subtle and delicate the aromas will be. The purity found under vacuum distillation is ideal. He therefore crafted a unique alambic, that concentrates even the slightest hint of aroma from the malt. A second alambic from Cognac will then provide more complexity. The engineer became a craftman, with great class. The dream came true !
The first bottles were released in autumn 2019, after three years of ageing. The majestic 225 year-old sequoia that protects the new distillerie gave its name to both whiskies : Sequoia 1er impression is a light, round, delicate, organic single malt with great finesse, a large aromatic spectrum with hints of honey notes, candied apples, flowers such as peonies, light spices, vanilla. Peat brings to the peated Séquoia 1er Impression its distinctive cender-like character, with great elegance (35ppm).
