Armorik Breton Single Malt Whisky Sherry Finish Review

On July 1, 1900, Distillerie Warenghem was founded by Léon Warenghem in Lanniom, France. The distillery began with plant liqueurs, and its flagship offering, Elixir d'Armorique, was created from 35 different plants!

 

In 1919, Léon’s son, Henri, took the helm and expanded the portfolio. Through Henri’s direction, Distillerie Warenghem enjoyed a good reputation among its wholesalers and traders throughout Western France.

 

It wasn’t until 1967 when Paul-Henri Warenghem joined forces with Yves Leizour and took Distillerie Warenghem in a new direction, primarily focusing on selling to supermarkets and relocating the distillery to Breton on the outskirts of Lanniom. Then, in 1981,  Gilles Leizour succeeded his father and concentrated on giving a new life to the distillery. He also included Melmor chouchen, made from fermented honey, as part of its catalog of products.

 

Two years later, Gilles introduced the world to the first 100% Breton whisky. In 1993, he constructed the first French distillery to concentrate on making whisky. It included two copper stills based on Scottish distilling techniques. Five years later, the first single malt from Brittany and France hit store shelves. He called it Armorik.

 

Not satisfied with just bringing France its first home-distilled single malt, Gilles then worked to have Whisky Breton declared a geographically protected spirit, requiring it to be mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged in Brittany and that any water used came from the region. In 2016, Gilles felt he had done all he could and retired, turning over the reins to David Roussier, his son-in-law.

 

“At the distillery, we are conscious of our global responsibility in terms of satisfaction among customers, employees, partners and the local community. This is reflected by the particular importance we attach to the following principles:

The primacy of the human factor, the environment and quality;

Long-term decision-making;

Sustainable and shared growth;

Full commitment to the local community.” – Distillerie Warenghem

 

Today, we’re exploring Armorik Whisky Breton Single Malt Sherry Finish, which began its life double-distilled from 100% French malted barley. It was aged in vintage Bourbon barrels before the contents were transferred to refill Oloroso Sherry butts for eight months. It is packaged at 46% ABV (92°), and 750ml has a suggested price of $61.00. It is non-chill flitered and naturally colored.

 

I acquired my bottle from Davidson’s Liquors in the metro Denver area on sale for $48.00. The big question is, Did I spend my money wisely? The only way to know for sure is to #DrinkCurious, so let’s go.

 

Appearance: I poured this whisky neat into my Glencairn glass. The liquid was bright and golden, and a gentle swirl produced a medium-thick rim that discharged alternating tight- and wide-spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: As I allowed the whisky to rest in my glass, definitive sherry notes filled the air. When I explored further, I encountered raisins, orange marmalade, honey, flowers, and a hint of hazelnuts. I drew that air into my mouth and discovered very dry sherry.

 

Palate: Armorik’s texture was weighty and dense. The first sip was on the bitter side. After that palate shock wore off, I could discern flavors better. The front included thick, almost chewy raisins, honey, and walnuts (which explained the bitterness). My mid-palate found red currants, orange marmalade, and oak.  I tasted dry leather, cocoa powder, and light smoke on the back.  

 

Finish: The light smoke carried deep into the finish while notes of orange, honey, walnuts, and oak each took a bow, and just before the final curtain dropped, there was a kiss of black pepper. The duration was 2:18, tossing it into the long category.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Armorik Sherry Finish is aptly named; there’s nothing “un-sherry” about it, and it is well-defined by the term sherry bomb. Many distilleries that use sherry casks for either finishing or aging would envy what Distillerie Warenghem produced.

 

Some may argue that this super-heavy finish probably camouflages a lesser whisky. Wanna know something? You won’t care. I know I didn’t. What I sampled today was full-bodied with a ton of flavor and character. Sure, that bitter start worried me, but I’m also experienced enough to know not to pass judgment on the first sip.

 

For $48.00, this was a slam-dunk Bottle rating. At $61.00, it is still a good deal. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.