Domain: Distillerie Castan

The son and grandson of a home distiller, in the 2000s and with the help of his wife Céline, Sébastien took over the family distillery founded in 1941. In 2004, the couple began producing fruit brandy (pear, plum), but, with pre-dinner drinks falling out of fashion and in the face of strong competition, it became increasingly difficult to sell this type of product. In 2010, Céline and Sébastien decided instead to begin producing whisky with the same equipment. Three years later, they released the first 100% Tarn whisky under the brand Vilanova, the Occitan name for the village where the distillery is located, Villeneuve-sur-Vère. Since then, Céline and Sébastien have gradually continued to work on their original goal of mastering as many steps of production as possible. In 2015, they moved into brewing, buying the equipment from Cap d’Ona and, before the end of the decade, managed to produce 100% of their barley. In 2020, the distillery was expanded and a new building built where Sébastien set up a second vase still and a new 30-hectolitre mash tun. In 2023, the distillery updated its packaging and celebrated the brand’s tenth anniversary.