GLANN AR MOR DISTILLERY TO CLOSE PERMANENTLY BY AUGUST 15th
The French artisanal distillery Glann ar Mor (Celtic Whisky Cie) which produces Kornog and Glann ar Mor whiskies will close its doors on August 15Th.
This closure is the direct consequence of the new “Whisky Breton” Geographical Indication (GI) laid down by the French INAO organization at the beginning of the year. The legitimacy of this GI as well as its technical file which defines what a “Whisky Breton” an be or cannot be are contested by Martine and Jean Donnay. It results in questioning the economic model of their company, and in particular of its necessary development.
Started in May 1997, the nice story of Celtic Whisky Cie and of its distillery located in Pleubian in Brittany -France- ends thus in a sad and surprising manner after 18 years of efforts and sacrifices. This, despite the fact that the business saw a 25% growth in the latest fiscal year thanks to continuously increasing sales, particularly on export.
Yet this was a Geographical Indication which originally augured well
Indeed, the Donnay were enthusiastic about the project of an appellation which aim was to protect and to valorize the whiskies produced in Brittany. Unfortunately, between the first meetings in June 2009 and the enactment of the IGP at the beginning of 2015 the project has slowly evolved to end up with a GI which Glann ar Mor regards as being too penalizing for its activity.
Its modalities favour a standardized product which corresponds to an economic model suited for industrial volumes. The “standard generic” Breton Whisky is not for us say Martine and Jean Donnay. If they want to exist beside the industrial producers the artisans need to be able to express their differences in going the full length of the qualitative approach and in expressing their creativity.
Therefore, for a Single Malt whisky one should refrain from adding E150a coloring agent, one should not chill filter it in removing some precious aromatic congeners under the excuse of making the whisky more limpid, and one should not “reduce” it down to 40% with water as is the case for the “blends” sold in hypermarkets. However, adopting a pragmatic attitude Glann ar Mor had accepted concessions on the previous points, the creation of the GI supposing that each of the four distilleries would do the same.
A Geographical Indication which drifted towards modalities being unacceptable for artisans
But what became totally unacceptable are the final modalities of the GI as they have been ratified by the French INAO organization, and this with its technical file having been finalised with only one of the four Breton distilleries.
As an example, the Single Malt rye whisky on which Glann ar Mor had been working for years had now become ineligible to be part of the GI.
Indeed, with Glann ar Mor not joining the GI this whisky is not allowed to state its origin nor to imply it in any way. On the other hand, if the distillery were to join the GI, then this Single Malt would not be allowed any more to say it is a Single Malt and would find itself completely devalorized.
How to deal with such a situation ? In both cases the economic model does not work anymore and this whisky which was a key element of the development is simply condemned to disappear. This is only an example of the issues which lead Glann ar Mor to decide to stop its activity, yet it is the most explicit one and the easiest one to understand, knowing other whiskies are in a similar situation.
This being said, the final modalities of the GI also resulted in excluding the little full copper “alambic” column still. A true gem to which Glann ar Mor was deeply attached in order to produce new Single Malts and for which the distillery had also accepted concessions on others points. And the quality of the type of Single Malts which this still can produce had been largely demonstrated.
Despite being unable to refer to the Breton origin of its whiskies, the distillery reckons that its existing customers would still be following them, but the handicap outside of France would be insurmountable. Importers classify their whiskies by region: Scotland, Ireland, Japan… So, how to present and sell a whisky which does not have an origin ? All the more when it is a product from the terroir with a quality and a price which match this specificity.
The sad legacy of the “Whisky Breton” Geographical Indication
The company which employs six persons exports its whiskies to Germany, England, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Singapore, Taiwan… Its Visitor Center receives over 7000 visitors per year. Its Single Malts Kornog and Glann ar Mor have been many times distinguished and awarded in prestigious contests and renowned specialized guides, with in particular six “Liquid Gold Awards”
(whiskies rated 94 on 100 or above ) in Jim Murray’s “Whisky Bible”, and Jean Donnay who owns their secrets has received the title of “Distillery Manager of the Year” in 2014.
The Donnay do not understand why nor how this project of appellation, of which they were unconditional supporters at the beginning, could eventually turn out to become a GI which clearly favours the production of a standardized whisky primarily tailored for an industrial production. And above all, a GI which does not allow the space of creative freedom so necessary to the artisans in order to exist beside the industrial producers. To this day the “Whisky Breton” Geographical Indication has been validated in France and it is being currently reviewed at the European level in Brussels with the outcome being known in a few months.
Glann ar Mor distillery, as well as its two colleagues also opposed to the GI, had sent two letters to the INAO at the beginning of 2012, asking for a confirmation of the situation since three of the four producers had then clearly positioned themselves against the GI.
Glann ar Mor is still waiting for an answer… It is now obviously too late but Martine and Jean Donnay can definitely still not understand. They would however like to be explained some day how GI’s and AOC’s are actually being laid down, what sort of advantages they bring, and who gets the benefits from them.
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