VINCENT LELIÈVRE, FOUNDER OF LA PIAUTRE
Vincent Lelièvre
"The presence of our malting facility was the main factor that motivated us to start producing whisky. It just made sense; it was the missing link!"
03 April 2024
La Piautre has brought together malting, smoking, brewing, and distillation under one roof. With two Charentais stills heated by open flames, the distillery prides itself on overseeing all stages of production of its whiskies.
How did the idea of LA PIAUTRE come about?
It all started in 1999 with the somewhat crazy idea of brewing beer on a Loire boat, using local barley! That's where the name La Piautre comes from, which refers to the rudder of the flat-bottomed Loire boats.
What makes LA PIAUTRE an Avant-Gardist?
Preserving resources is at the core of our motivations. From the outset, we aimed to brew using locally cultivated barley and break free from industrial productions. Today, our local supply chain relies on ten farms cultivating our organic barley across 100 hectares. Our malt house is equipped with two malt kilns of three tons each, and its kilning process is wood-fired. It ensures 100% of our malt supply.
What were you doing before? What led you to delve into the spirits industry?
I have an agronomic background. I primarily worked in sales, then transitioned to consulting and training. The midlife crisis and the quest for meaning led me to production with the creation of the brewery. It was especially having access to a malt house that inspired us to produce whisky. It seemed like a natural fit, the missing link!
Tell us about your first memory of tasting whisky.
It goes back a long way! It was an Edradour. I just remember a great smoothness. I then had the opportunity to visit the distillery during my first trip to Scotland in 1992.
What is your favourite cocktail, and the ideal place to enjoy it?
I'm fond of anything involving rye, so an Old Fashioned, at a bar, during a stopover on an Atlantic island.
What is the most rewarding feedback you have received about LA PIAUTRE from a customer?
It's both a feedback and an experience. I will try to keep it short. It was during a trip to the Isle of Islay in 2017.
"After being considered slightly crazy, during a visit to Laphroaig, I was able to bring back peat with the idea of smoking our barley with it. Two hundred kilos nevertheless!"
After malting, smoking, brewing, distilling, and aging it, four years later, we were able to send a bottle of our cask strength whisky to the distillery. Beyond their recognition – "Everyone was impressed! Strongly peated and with plenty of body!" – being able to carry out this experiment to the end and having this exchange with the Laphroaig team was incredibly rewarding.
