Eddu Silver & Gold (Not a Rudolph Song)

Review by: TOModera

Special thanks to wrathfulhaggis for answering my request to try these rare malts.

But you may be asking yourself… why would I want to try a rare, not really well known whisky from France (Brittany)? I mean, France (Brittany) isn’t known for whisky, right?

And why do I keep saying France (Brittany)?

Okay, so first off, this whisky comes from Brittany, France. And you should note that in your review, even though it’ll say in the archive “France”. Brittany is different. It started as British Colony, was home to Celtic tribes before that, and has a distinct culture tied to settlers from Great Britain.

And speaking as someone who grew up in Quebec, trust me, when something says “Distinct culture”, it’s kinda a big deal, especially to those living in that area.

So, tied to the UK, that made me interested.

However it was the type of wheat used that truly drew me to Eddu Silver and Eddu Gold. Buckwheat. I like Buckwheat. Favourite hillbilly name, and my favourite type of honey. It’s tasty, and I love it. A lot.

And I thought “I wonder if I could do jumping Jacks upside down if I practiced enough?”…. Wait, no, I wondered, in this case, “I wonder if anyone has ever made whisky from Buckwheat?”

So I looked, and I found Eddu. Which means “buckwheat” in the native language. Made by Distillery Des Menhirs, I was very, very interested in it. Not to mention, they’ve been making this since 1986, so this isn’t a new operation. Also they follow traditional Breton techniques, so this should be interesting.

Let’s see if it was worth the excitement.

Distillery: Distillerie des Menhirs.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Brittany, France.

Price: Eddu is N/A in Canada.

Eddu Silver

Up first, Eddu Silver. Made from 80% unmalted buckwheat and 20% malted buckwheat, distilled twice, aged in French oak barrels that once held Cognac. Too bad it is NAS, however I’m going to guess it’s at least 7 years (THIS IS ONLY A GUESS).

If that isn’t enough to get you going, well… I don’t think even Viagra can help you (or sitting on the dryer during the spin cycle, for the ladies).

ABV: 40%.

Age: Unknown.

Cask type: Cognac Cask.

Color: Chestnut.

Nose: Alcohol, wheat, honey, raspberry, orange, oak, lemon sorbet, Sauvignon Blanc

Starts off a little harsh, however after letting it sit some more, eventually this nice, fruity, sweet bouquet comes out.

Not overtly complex, however quite rounded and sweet. Wish there was some spice in the nose, however didn’t really get any. Perhaps I’ve been having too spicy of drams lately.

Taste: Caramel, pepper, peach, acid, fennel, dry apple

The taste and the nose aren’t really lining up. They’re in the same neighbourhood, sure, but they can’t find the same house, as all the houses look the same. Because it’s the suburbs.

I’m happy for the spice though, it matches well in the dram.

Finish: Anise, burn, bubblegum, cumin, cotton, dry melon, nutmeg, mineral water, oregano

Big ole, complex finish on this one. Very dry. Not a lot of Cognac flavours that I was expecting, more like it was lightly kissed by Cognac. And lucky for it too, because the last time something this young was kissed by Cognac, Micheal Jackson was nearly sued.

Conclusion: There’s a lot of quality that goes into this dram. The three elements don’t really line up, however I enjoyed the finish the most of the three. The nose being too one note and the taste being a little muted, though still nicely rounded. Good first entry, and I’d recommend this one for people to try.

Final Score: 77.

Eddu Gold

Eddu Gold is aged at least 10 years…. and in French oak. Some websites say 15, some say 10, others say 15 to 18.

And… well fuck, that’s all I could find out about it. Which is annoying, to say the least, as to find that out I had to go to multiple websites and speak French and German (and trust me, my German is non-existent).

Let’s see if this enigma can stand on its own merits.

ABV: 43%.

Age: Unknown.

Cask type: French Oak Casks (Ex-Cognac).

Color: Darker Brown

Nose: Floral, cantaloupe, nectarine, ginger, violets, fruit punch, peach Jell-O, cherries

This has really developed with the additional years. It’s no longer just sticking your head in a fruit salad, more like walking through a proper grocery store with fresh food. And there’s some spice!

Taste: Lots of cherries, brown sugar, nutmeg, green melon, vanilla, watermelon

Do you like cherries? Well, I have a rare, only 1500 bottles released per year whisky for you!

Eventually, after waiting a little longer, the cherry dominance subsides, and we have more sweet notes. However it’s only sweet notes, and some nutmeg.

Finish: Nutmeg, cherry, orange, oak, watermelon, burn, Green Jolly Ranchers, herbal

More sweet, though the oak and herbal notes now balance it quite nicely. It’s really quite enjoyable to drink.

Conclusion: This is a fine sipping whisky. It’s consistent (you know you’re getting cherries, all the way down), there’s a bit of complexity on the nose and the finish, and there’s a decent amount of complexity, albeit the whole damn thing is really sweet.

I like sweets, so I enjoyed it. If you don’t, run for the hills…. I hear they make more dry or peated whisky there.

Final Score: 83.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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