T.O.S. is a small artisan distillery in the heart of barley country in the Hauts-de-France, the northernmost region in France. Hauts-de-France is a diverse region, blending historic Flemish culture with the influences of generations of immigrants who came to the area looking for work. The team at T.O.S. is a direct reflection of these influences, combining restoration, revitalization, and innovation to create one of the most exciting craft spirits projects in France.
The small team of four friends began as brewers, founding the Brasserie Saint Germain Brewery in their hometown of Aix-Noulette over twenty years ago. The team consists of Katy Gravina, Stéphane and Vincent Bogaert, and Hervé Descamps. The brewery was founded by the two brothers, Stéphane and Vincent, and their friend Hervé, who all have deeply-rooted Flemish origins. When Katy joined the team in 2017 as T.O.S. Master Distiller, they installed a still on “the other side” (hence T.O.S. Distillerie) of the brewery’s walls with the mission to distill the area’s legendary grain.
T.O.S. first began by producing single malt whisky. Their approach is both place-based and quality-focused. Rather than creating whisky in France’s traditional distilling regions, they started with their local region’s terroir (grains, water, climate), bringing their fermentation and distillation techniques to the land. Being thoughtful in every aspect of the production, they prioritize local and sustainable ingredients over imported ingredients with an organic label.
They work with two nearby malters to source the barley for their flagship single malt whisky, Artesia. After a natural, slow eight-day fermentation, the whisky is single-distilled in a Holstein copper alembic still, seeing both pot and column distillation. Artesia is aged in both ex-Bourbon casks and new French oak barrels to create an elegant, lithe whisky that expresses French terroir through a classic whisky lens.
Tasting Notes
Ripe pear, sweet potato, and toasted malts with a palate of stewed fruit and gentle baking spices. Late tail of pu-erh tea and fermented grains
Usage Notes
Drink neat or with a small amount of filtered water
Region
Hauts-de-France
Source
100% barley from the Hauts-de-France region
Fermentation
Eight-day fermentation
Distillation
Single distillation in Holstein alembic still, seeing both column and pot distillation
Dilution
Local reverse-osmosis filtered water
Aging
Ex-Bourbon and new French oak barrels
Chill Filtration & Coloring
None
ABV
45%
Pack Size
6x700L