Brenne 10 Year Old French Single Malt Whisky
Brenne 10 Year Old French Single Malt Whisky is a 96-proof (48% ABV), 750mL single malt from the Cognac region of France — aged a full decade in a combination of new French Limousin oak and former XO Cognac casks. Made from 100% organic heirloom barley grown in the Cognac fields, distilled in alembic Charentais stills (the same stills used for Cognac) at a third-generation family farmhouse distillery, it is non-chill filtered with natural colour. Founded by Allison Patel in 2012, Brenne releases only about 290–300 cases a year. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 48% (96 proof) — non-chill filtered, natural colour
- Size: 750mL (US bottling; 700mL in UK/EU)
- Age: 10 years — new French Limousin oak + former XO Cognac casks
- Origin: Cognac region, France
- Making: 100% organic heirloom barley; Charente River water; proprietary yeast; Charentais pot stills
- Recognition: 93 pts Wine Enthusiast; 92 pts 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge; 93/92 pts WhiskyCast
Cognac's Stills, Whisky's Soul
Brenne shouldn't exist — and that's the point. In the heart of Cognac country, where the alembic Charentais stills are legally reserved for Cognac most of the year, founder Allison Patel found a family distillery willing to run whisky through those same stills in the off-season. The barley is two heirloom varieties grown organically in the Cognac fields; the water comes from the Charente River; the yeast strain dates to the 1920s. Ten years in new Limousin oak and ex-XO Cognac casks gives it a profile no Scottish malt can touch — all orchard fruit and crème brûlée. Each annual batch marries only about four hand-selected barrels. For world whisky explorers, Brenne 10 is the essential French malt.
Tasting Notes
Lush and perfumed: baked pear, crème brûlée, and orange marmalade over toasted oak and vanilla. The palate is silky and full — orchard fruit, honey, and Cognac-like rancio notes — with a long, elegant finish of fruit and spice.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass to appreciate the Cognac-cask influence. A few drops of water open the fruit. Pair with foie gras, blue cheese, or tarte Tatin — or serve as the bridge pour between whisky and Cognac drinkers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brenne a Scotch?
No — it is a French single malt whisky, distilled and matured in the Cognac region of France.
Why does it taste like Cognac?
It is distilled in Cognac's Charentais pot stills and matured partly in former XO Cognac casks — the Cognac influence is structural, not incidental.
Is it chill-filtered or colored?
Neither — non-chill filtered with natural colour, bottled at 48%.
How limited is it?
About four barrels are married per batch, roughly 290–300 cases a year.
Explore more Brenne French whiskies and our world whisky collection. Annual batches this small go fast — order Brenne 10 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.