Armorik whisky…oui, it’s a French whisky. So what’s it all about? Let’s dive in…
With interest in “new world” whiskies exploding everywhere, not to mention a burgeoning craft whisky scene in almost every country around the world, it’s easy to look at a whisky brand you’ve not heard of before and think “Okay, that’s new”. You might also be forgiven for assuming the whisky is young.
This is the challenge for some of the non-Scottish whisky producers that have actually been around the traps for a while and are trying to cement a foothold in the international scene. Such is the challenge for Armorik – the first Breton single malt whisky.
Armorik single malt whisky is distilled at Distillerie Warenghem, an independent, family-owned distillery that was established in 1900. After 83 years of making all manner of liqueurs, the distillery turned its hand to whisky in 1983. Whilst their first bottled release in 1987 was a blended whisky, Armorik Single Malt was launched back 1998. So Armorik is hardly the new kid on the block, despite what many assume.
It would also be easy to label Armorik as a “French single malt”. Yes, the whisky comes from France, but that’s a bit like saying Glenfiddich comes from Great Britain. Distillerie Warenghem is on the northern coast of Brittany which, these days, is indeed a region of France, but its history is worth noting, particularly in the context of whisky.
Originally an area inhabited by tribes of Celts, it became part of the Roman Republic in 51BC. The Romans called this neck of the woods Armorica, from where, presumably, the name Armorik derives. With the fall of the Roman Empire (and the subsequent Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain), the fourth and fifth centuries saw a mass migration of sorts occur with the Britons of Wales and Cornwell transplanting themselves to Armorica. So many Britons had established themselves in the region that by the end of the 5th century it was known as Brittania. (Brittany has also been referred to as Lesser or Little Britain, to distinguish it from Great Britain). Brittany became an independent kingdom in the 9th century and had transformed into a duchy in the medieval era before being united with the Kingdom of France in 1532. Despite 500 years of French influence, Breton – a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh – is still spoken in parts of Brittany, and the celtic connection remains strong – all the more so when whisky is involved!
The whisky is made using French-grown barley and distillation is traditional in the sense of being double distilled in copper pot stills. Production is around 100,000 litres of pure alcohol a year, which puts the distillery on a similar scale as, say, Edradour or Kilchoman in Scotland.
The two mainstays of the Armorik line-up are the Classic and the Double Maturation. The Classic is made using a combination of both ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks. The bourbon-cask-matured spirit is said to be young, contributing a fresh, zesty sweetness, whilst the sherry-cask-matured spirit is a bit older and injects fruitiness and complexity. The Double Maturation release sees spirit filled into unique oak casks that are made from the local forests of Brittany. (Whilst not expressly stated anywhere, the casks are not seasoned with a wine or spirit, but are simply charred before being filled with Armorik. In this sense, they are what we typically refer to as virgin casks). After a few years, the whisky is then transferred into oloroso sherry butts. Neither release carries an age statement, although both are bottled at 46% and are non chill-filtered.
Classic
Nose: Lemon meringue pie. Sweet, floral malty notes. Citrus blossom & a hint of sarsaparilla. It’s light, dainty, and yet very appealing and tantalising.
Palate: The palate revolves around a dry maltiness that doesn’t really sing with any specific flavour descriptors. It’s very cereal-driven and is light in body and texture.
Finish: A surprising hit of oak and quite drying. Reminiscent of some non-descript 12yo Speyside bottlings that were doing the rounds 10-12 years ago where it’s all about the malt and plain oak maturation.
Comments: For a light and sweet nose, the palate and finish display a contrastingly dry style of whisky. Whilst the nose offers fruit, the palate and finish are all about the cereal. In a whisky world that is increasingly dominated by talk of sherry, peat and wood, it’s almost refreshing to get back to a whisky that reminds you the spirit comes from barley. It’s pleasant drinking, but not particularly complex.
Double Maturation
Nose: Much, much heavier in weight and full of doughy bread notes. There are massive aromas of thick sourdough or pasta, and perhaps even a buttery croissant. The oak footprint is far more pronounced and there’s also very faint wafts of a burning incense that might almost be mistaken for a light peatiness. There’s a delicious and intriguing wine gum note in the background. Very beguiling – let’s have a taste….
Palate: Just like the nose, the palate has a much heavier texture and weight to the Classic expression. It’s luxuriously thick and creamy in texture. There’s a bit of spice on the back palate, and the influence of the oak is far more pronounced. It’s possibly on the dry side and, again, is very cereal driven.
Finish: Great length and a healthy whack of alcohol. Seems bigger and bolder than the Classic, even though both have the same ABV.
Comments: The nose is a real contender here and could keep a good nose-ologist happy for some time. The trouble is, the nose is so good that it sets quite a stage for the palate, and the palate doesn’t quite deliver the same sparkle. Just like the Classic, everything is pleasant and perfectly drinkable. But there’s no knockout punch or complexity to make the tastebuds stop and ponder. For those that like virgin-oak whiskies, the Double Maturation will appeal. The Brittany oak casks inject a very signature and distinctive influence that is not a long way removed from virgin wood expressions from Benromach, Glen Garioch, or Glen Moray.
Cheers,
AD
Armorik is distributed in Australia by Le Baron Des Spirits and both Armorik whiskies reviewed above are available from specialist drinks retailers across Australia. You can pick up the Classic for around $99 and the Double Maturation for around $130. Now’s the time to try your first French whisky!
