Interview de Christophe Dupic (distillerie ROZELIEURES) au Salon Club-Expert Dugas 2025

(Note : Summary in ENGLISH after the French presentation)

Voici une interview en français de Christophe DUPIC directeur de la distillerie ROZELIEURES (fondée en 1877 à Rozelieures, en Lorraine/Grand-Est, première distillation de whisky en 2002, et première sortie d’un whisky en 2007), à l’occasion de sa participation au Salon Club-Expert DUGAS 2025 dans lequel il présentait pour la première fois sa nouvelle gamme permanente à compte d’âge, un événement pour celle qui est devenue cette année la plus importante distillerie de whisky de France, en termes de capacité de production de litres d’alcool pur par an, et la première également à proposer, en plus des 8 ans (« Triple Cask ») et 10 ans d’âge (« Double Oak »), un 18 ans d’âge (« French Wine Cask ») permanent dans une gamme de whiskies français, même si, de manière très limitée en quantité, Rozelieures 18 ans (référence déjà présente l’an dernier, mais en single-cask) a été précédé d’un Eddu 21 ans (distillerie des Menhirs, Bretagne) en 2022, et l’année suivante d’un édition unique d’un Armorik 21 ans également (distillerie Warenghem, Bretagne), mais aussi d’un 21 ans d’âge chez BM, dans le Jura (en single-cask), en 2024. J’aurais l’occasion de vous reparler de ces 3 nouvelles créations sur ma chaîne Youtube, donc, à suivre !

ENGLISH SUMMARY :

In this video I interview in French Christophe DUPIC, ROZELIEURES distillery manager (Rozelieures is a whisky & other spirits distillery located in the East « Lorraine » region of France, within the bigger one called « Grand-Est ») and was founded in the Rozelieures village in 1877, first distilling local fruit spirit, then other spirits. Their first distillation for whisky occured in 2002, and their first single-malt whisky was released in 2007. Since last year it has become the largest French distillery making whisky, with 540 000 liters of pure alcohol per annum (everything being of course relative, as, for instance, it’s on par with current volume of production of Springbank distillery). Rozelieures has a large variety of ranges of whisky, including an interestings one regarding the « terroir » question, called « Les Parcellaires ». Usually they do make very lightly (6 ppm) peated single-malt whisky, but some can go up to 35 ppm…

Rozelieures does participate every year to many shows, including the Salon Club-Expert DUGAS show for this 2025 edition, in which they did present for the very first time their new permanent age stated core range, which comprises an 8 years old (« Triple Cask »), matured in ex-Cognac French oak, American oak & Wine casks, lightly peated at 6 ppm, a 10 y.o. (« Double Oak »), matured in French oak & American oak casks, peated at 35 ppm, and a new 18 y.o. as well (« French Wine Cask »), matured in 3 different wine casks, including white wine, red wine & sweet white wine (Sauternes), lightly peated at 6 ppm. In this video, Christophe explains why it is so important for them, but also for French whisky in general, to bring clear age statements to the market, especially abroad, as age statements are often what people ask for when comparing to the traditional Scottish (& World whisky wise sometimes) offer. They had to wait a lot of time, though, to be able to present the new 18 y.o. for instance, because, during their first whisky distillation years, they didn’t really had long-term sustainability in mind, therefore they didn’t kept a lot of their older casks, and not enough to provide us a 20 years old for instance, but « other age statements will come in the near future », Christophe says (12, 15, 21 y.o. are planned).

In fact, not many other French distilleries can provide a very old age statement, there 25 years old is most probably the oldest age statement we can expect to see from the oldest stocks of French whisky distilleries. Last year, Rozelieures did release a rare single-cask version of this 18 y.o. (only matured in Sauternes casks), but it’s not the oldest release of a French single-malt whisky, no, that one appeared first in 2022, from the Distillerie des Menhirs, it was the Eddu « Graal » 21 y.o., made of buckwheat as usual for them, then we say an one bottle only 21 y.o. release for charity by Warenghem distillery (under the « Armorik » name, their most known single-malt brand), and, besides, the Jura (in France, not the Scottish one) BM distillery did also release a 21 y.o. in 2024, and it was also a single-cask.

About Rozelieures, you will hear again about them in my Youtube channel & website (there is a long distillery presentation there in French you can check out too), as I will purchase at least one of the 8 & 10 y.o. soon, and Christophe granted me with a wee sample of the 18 y.o. (that will be sold a bit too high for my wallet, 290 €, while the 8 & 10 y.o. are more nicely priced, around the 55 to 70 € price tags), so stay tuned !

Pour me Soutenir (financement participatif)/To support me : https://buymeacoffee.com/gregswhiskyguide