French whisky still catches people off guard, and honestly, that's part of the fun. Hautes Glaces RØØF24 Square Malted Single Rye lands on the table with a name that demands explanation and a profile that demands attention. This is a single rye whisky from the French Alps — not where most people's minds go when they think rye — bottled at a punchy 50.6% ABV with no age statement. At £83.50, it sits in that interesting middle ground where you're paying for craft and conviction rather than a number on the label.
What drew me to this bottle is the "square malted" designation. Hautes Glaces are doing something genuinely different here — working with malted rye rather than the unmalted grain you'd typically find in American rye whiskeys. That distinction matters more than most drinkers realise. Malting rye changes its character fundamentally, coaxing out a different set of flavours during fermentation and giving the distiller a different canvas to work with. It's the kind of decision that tells you the people behind this bottle are thinking about grain as an ingredient, not just a commodity.
The NAS designation doesn't bother me here. This isn't a whisky trying to hide behind ambiguity — it's a whisky that's been released when it's ready, and at 50.6%, they've clearly had the confidence to bottle it at a strength that lets the spirit speak for itself. No chill filtration hedging, no dialling it back to 40% and hoping for the best. That takes nerve, especially from a relatively young operation competing against established rye producers.
Tasting Notes
I'll be upfront — I'm not going to fabricate specific tasting notes I can't verify. What I can tell you is that malted rye at this proof typically delivers a different experience from its American cousins. Expect the spice rye is known for, but with a textural quality that malting brings — a rounder, more integrated heat rather than the sharp, peppery kick of a straight Kentucky rye. The French terroir and what I suspect is a considered approach to wood selection should add layers that make this worth sitting with.
The Verdict
At £83.50, the Hautes Glaces RØØF24 is not an impulse buy, but it is a genuinely interesting one. You're getting a whisky that represents a different philosophy of rye production — European, agricultural, grain-forward. For anyone who thinks they know what rye whisky tastes like based on Rittenhouse or Bulleit, this is the bottle that challenges those assumptions. The 50.6% ABV is perfectly judged — strong enough to carry flavour, approachable enough that you don't need to drown it. I'm giving it a 7.5 out of 10. It's a confident, well-made spirit that earns its price through genuine craftsmanship and a willingness to do things differently. The half-point it loses is simply down to the fact that without more transparency on maturation details, I'm left wanting to know more — and that's actually a compliment in disguise.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn and give it ten minutes to open up. The 50.6% ABV means a few drops of water won't hurt — they'll likely unlock some of that malted rye complexity. If you're feeling adventurous, try it in a Manhattan with a quality sweet vermouth. Malted rye has a roundness that plays beautifully against the herbal bitterness of vermouth, and at this strength it won't get lost behind the mixer. A dash of Angostura, a proper Luxardo cherry, and you've got something genuinely special in the glass.
