Armorik Sherry Finish

Picture: Distillerie Warenghem

Armorik whisky is produced by Distillery Warenghem in Brittany. They claim to be the first French distillery to bring a whisky and later on a single malt to the market.

The distillery dates back to 1900. Léon Warenghem started distilling l'elixir d'armorique, a liquor containing extracts from 35 plants. His son introduced numerous flavoured liquors such as mint and cassis. In 1983 they started working on the concept a whisky Breton.

Today we'll focus on an entry from the core range. The NAS Sherry finish is bottled at 40% alcohol and serves as an introduction to the brand. It is widely available in French supermarkets.

Identity Card Armorik Sherry Finish

• Official bottling from Warenghem Distillery, Bretagne (France)
• NAS French single malt (some sources say 4YO)
• Maturation in ex-bourbon casks, finished in sherry casks
• Alcohol: 40% ABV

Tasting notes

Colour: Gold. Fast legs reveal a thin texture.

Nose: Lots of candy, dates and raisins. A whiff of triple sec (Cointreau). Cinnamon and juniper berries. Sweet malt and vanilla. Burnt sugar, dried apricots and almonds.
With water: Caramelized malt, Werther's Original caramel candy. Cinnamon and liquorice candy. Dusty cardboard, oatmeal, oranges and dried mandarin oranges.

Taste: Caramel and oak. A soft and silky mouthfeel. A tiny pinch of pepper with raisins and blue grapes. Even a faint hint of smoke. Honey, nutmeg and brown spiced biscuits or speculoos.
With water: Liquorice candy and/or liquorice root. Salted caramel and buttery nut cake.

Finish: Warm sugar and brown spiced biscuits.

This is a fairly generic whisky from Armorik. There's nothing wrong with it, but it does not excite either. Given the price point, it's a decent daily driver. I've got nothing more to report on this except that I've heard some very good things on their higher strength single casks. So this won't be my last Armorik...

Sample: This Armorik came from a bottle share with a colleague at work coming back from Brittany.