The View from the Golden Promise is a chance to see the bottles under the hammer at finespirits.auction in a new light. To give you this fresh perspective, we’ve called on two experts from the Golden Promise Whisky Bar, Clément Gaillard and François Piriou.
For every new sale, they will share their thoughts on their favourites in the catalogue.
Nestled in the Montorgueil district of Paris, the Golden Promise bar is split into two areas: The first a cocktail bar and the second dedicated to tasting rare whiskies. More than 1,000 bottlings—most of which are almost impossible to find elsewhere—are available in the speakeasy style cellar.
CLÉMENT’S SELECTION
Chartreuse verte V.E.P. bottled 2020 54% vol, 1L
Chartreuse is more than worthy of its nickname as the Queen of Liqueurs. I wouldn’t dare write a tasting note for this V.E.P., not knowing when the buyer will choose to open the bottle. This is because Chartreuse, likely more than any other liqueur, develops over time, improving as the green and tonic aromas of its youth give way to more tertiary notes over the years. To fans of Chartreuse and history, I highly recommend the book Chartreuse, La Liqueur published by Chartreuse Diffusion.
Marc de Bourgogne, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1992-2012 45.4%, 75cl
Like Arte Povera, pomace brandy is a poor spirit produced from the pomace left over after winemaking—the skins and stalks that remain after fermentation of the wine and pressing of the grapes. Few enthusiasts in France are still interested in marcs, fines and other grappas and, as is so often the case, one must head to Japan to find bars with a worthy stock in the matter. And yet these brandies are full of charm and softness—something akin to the morbidezza revered by Italians—coupled with a wonderful bitterness. The marc found in this sale is from one of Burgundy’s greatest estates, Romanée Conti.
FRANÇOIS’ SELECTION
Bunnahabhain 12 years Of. Westering Home Waxor S.R.L. Import 43%, 75 cl
Magnificent “daily drams”, these old Bunna 12 year old never fail to offer their audience a little dip into nostalgia. This version combines sherry notes with grain, tropical fruit, leather, Oolong tea, floral honey and forest floor aromas. On both the nose and the palate, the patina plays a key role and provides the old-fashioned touch of nostalgia. At a time when the distillery produces a huge range of peated and unpeated versions (with names each more complicated than the last), this older version of the 12 year old brings us back to basics.
Springbank 12 years Of. Green Thistle 1999 Release 46%, 70 cl
The complexity found in older versions of Springbank 12 Year Old always leave me speechless. And for good reason, as legend has it that bottlings from this period were blended from vintages far older than those the distillery had under its care following the overproduction crisis of the 1980s. As well as offering us, the consumers, a very special treat, this also led to the creation of powerful and distinguished whiskies. Versions marked by a strong sherry influence (the younger sisters of the legendary Springbank 12 Year Old Samaroli) develop meaty, earthy, vinous and subtly peaty notes. True works of art!
