The project in a few words

This project is the outcome of an experiment started 2 years ago: ageing whiskey tens of meters down the ocean. The result is said to be "completely apart", "very very beautiful" and "absolutely majestic" for the lucky few ones who have already tasted the first drops of this spirit. This is why, obviously, I want to pursue the experience and share it with you!

My inspiration

This whisky takes its origin from meeting a team that has some crazy ideas: ageing wines and champagne under the sea, off the coast of Ouessant.

They offered to give me a try with whisky. And, to be honest, I was not convinced of the impact that it could have on the overall taste, but I am curious by nature and always looking for new aromatic discoveries. Therefore, I finally decided to try the adventure with them! So, two years ago, I dived my first barrels and bottles in the ocean.

If you don't know me...

I am a French whisky editor. After working for more than 10 years in the world of wines and spirits, I created my own “Maison” in 2016, with in mind the desire to answer this question; "What if whisky were invented in France? What would be today’s whisky?"

I chose the term French whisky editor, because my starting point is not the distillation or the cereal but ... writing. Writing a recipe.

Indeed, I take inspiration from my moods or encounters, then I detail the aromatics that I seek to create and find in my whiskies. From this, comes the selection, blending and fining of distillates. It is thus thanks to working hand in hand with several partner distilleries in France that I can obtain the tastes that I am looking for.

All this brought to life to my first whiskies:

- (D’un) Verre Printanier, a fresh, fruity, floral whisky that I wanted ideal to enjoy under a soft spring sun.

- Fin de Partie, a gourmet, fruity, and spicy whisky that I wrote to pursue good late-night moments, at the end of the day or meal.

- Le Guip, a robust, dry, saline single cask, in reference to the eponymous shipyard of Brest, which restores magnificent classic sailboats.

- Aux Particules Vines, matured in ex-casks of great French wines, is a whisky in tribute to the work of the vine, with the desire to create a continuity of taste throughout a meal, ending on a malty note, that reminds the palate with the wine tasted at the table.

All of my whiskies can be found at our partner cellars and restaurants or on my website www.maisonbenjaminkuentz.com

An astonishing result, which exceeds expectations

The result of the first test turned out to be totally different from what I could have imagined! At the beginning, I imagined an aromatic trail in the continuity of the taste that I had initiated by creating the whiskey "Le Guip". Well, finally, it took a whole other path.

But an even more interesting path to dig! An amazing new texture and aromatic that take me on completely separate taste tracks… So obviously, I want to share this new recipe with you!

This taste differs depending on the type of whiskey and the method chosen

Having done some tests with different types of distillates and containers, I noticed that some whisky reacted very well and others… not at all.

Finally, I want to use this ageing under the sea as a new kind of fining. I want to create a real “underwater ageing cellar” because, once the bottles and barrels are out of the water, I will rework a blend of the best ones in order to ensure a unique and constant taste from one bottle to another. As I would do with a classic ageing cellar.

Well, I can't wait to share the first results with you! Here are some tasting comments:

Why am I turning to you?

The first trials of this refining being very conclusive, I chose to continue it in order to produce more of these exceptional bottles.

Of course, the effect is not optimal on all the whiskies that I put in the water. Depending on the type of distillate chosen, the container, location and duration of launching, the fining has a different impact, and not all the bottles/barrels meet the quality that I want, in order to offer an exceptional whisky.

There is therefore a significant research and technical work to be developed to pursue the optimization of this finning innovation (test on different distillates, containers, depth, etc.). However, I have found a way forward, and after two year of experimenting with that, I can now guarantee you a completely unique and exceptional whisky!

Indeed, I am convinced that we are at the beginning of the story for this type of ageing. This is why I am proposing you to follow me in these future launches in exchange for the malted counterparts to be discovered on this page.

To conclude : THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading this, and thanks to those who are already following and supporting me. Your enthusiasm for our new products as well as your positive feedback push me to always imagine new aromatic routes and to keep in mind the objective I had when creating my Maison: to share emotions with you through taste, and continuously surprise you with elegant and original French whiskies.

Thank you to those who will join me through this great project and who, I hope, will also fall in love with my Maison!

Also, to stay in touch, follow us on social networks, join our newsletter on our website and share this project as much as possible with your whisky friends!

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Uisce de profundis : 1st whisky aged in the ocean's depths

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