French whisky still raises eyebrows, and honestly, that's part of why I find bottles like this so interesting. Hautes Glaces Episteme R18P23B Yellow Circle is a malted rye whisky — and yes, that's a mouthful of a name, but stick with me. This is a spirit that deserves your attention if you care about what rye whisky can be when it's made outside the American tradition.
Hautes Glaces is based in the French Alps, and their approach leans heavily into terroir — the idea that where grain is grown and how it's handled matters as much as what happens in the still. This particular expression uses malted rye, which is worth pausing on. Most rye whisky you'll encounter, especially from the US, uses unmalted rye in a mashbill alongside corn and malted barley. Malting the rye itself changes the game entirely. It softens some of that aggressive spice you associate with American rye and opens the door to a different flavour profile — one that tends toward bread, dried fruit, and a rounder mouthfeel. At 47% ABV, this is bottled at a strength that gives you enough punch to hold up in a cocktail but sits comfortably enough for sipping neat.
Tasting Notes
I don't have detailed tasting notes to share on this one yet, so I won't fabricate them. What I can tell you is that malted rye whiskies at this strength tend to deliver a combination of baking spice, cereal sweetness, and a dry, peppery finish. The French oak and Alpine climate maturation that Hautes Glaces is known for often adds a distinctive herbal, almost floral quality you won't find in Kentucky. The R18P23B designation and Yellow Circle label suggest a specific cask or batch selection — these limited runs from Hautes Glaces tend to show real individuality.
The Verdict
At £80.95, this isn't an impulse buy, but it's fair pricing for what you're getting: a craft-focused, single-ingredient malted rye from a producer doing genuinely original work. This isn't a whisky trying to be Bulleit or Rittenhouse. It's doing its own thing, rooted in French agricultural tradition and Alpine conditions, and I respect that. A 7.8 out of 10 feels right — this is a quality pour that rewards curiosity. It loses half a point for the fact that it's not always easy to find context on their batch codes, and the name alone might scare off casual buyers. But for anyone who wants to explore what rye whisky looks like beyond North America, this is a genuinely compelling bottle.
Best Served
I'd start this one neat, at room temperature, with a few drops of water after your first couple of sips to see how it opens up. If you want to mix, try it in a Manhattan — the malted rye's rounder character pairs beautifully with sweet vermouth and a dash of Angostura. Use a 2:1 ratio and don't drown it. A whisky this distinctive deserves to lead the drink, not disappear into it.
