It is the 3rd  time this year that I try a world whisky, and this week it is from France. It is the Armorik Millesime 2002 single malt whisky. The Warenghem distillery is located in Lannion, in Brittany. They have been distilling quality liqueurs and spirits since 1900 when Leon Warenghem founded the distillery and created the Elixir d’Armorique.

Since then, the distillery has created a small range of unusual fruit and plant-based liqueurs, honey liqueurs, apple brandy, beers and whiskies. I looked on the map and noticed that it was about an hours drive away from another French whisky distillery Glann Ar Mor.

Glen Ar Mor distillery produces Kornog. But where Glann Ar Mor is situated on the peninsula facing the rough sea, Warenghem is more inland. The sea is about 9 km away.

In 1987 the Warenghem distillery started creating blended whisky, and in 1998 their first single malt was released – Armorik. It was the first single malt  in France. Armorik uses 100 % French malted barley.


The weather in the region is similar to the Scottish Highlands but slightly warmer. The angel’s share is around 3.5%. The water is from Rest Avel which translates to ‘the wind’s dwelling”.

Armorik uses a majority of refill bourbon casks made of American white oak and some refill sherry butts made of Spanish oak. They also make use of Brittany oak casks made from trees of the Cranou and Brocéliande forests. These casks bring their natural sweetness and delicate woody notes.

The core range includes Armorik Classic, Armorik double maturation and Armorik Sherry finish, all of which are available in South Africa.

Also ReadCompass Box Peat Monster whisky

Armorik Single Malt Whisky Review


John picked this bottle of Armorik Millesime 2002 up on one of his travels. It was distilled in March 2002 and bottled in May 2013. It was matured in cask No. 3300, with an outturn of 728 bottles. The Armorik Millesime 2002 is bottled at cask strength and was matured in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks. I have bottle 90 /728

COUNTRY: France

ABV: 56.3%

COLOUR: Copper

NOSE: Fruity sweetness, toasted  malt,  hints of vanilla, sherry, toffee, honey.  Even at the high ABV, there is no alcohol burn on the nose.

PALATE: Without water, there is heat, burnt toast, ash, fruity notes and malt. Adding water softens the heat and a cascade of flavours come through. The burnt toast and ash changes to darkly toasted bread with heaps of fresh butter, the fruit become sweeter and hints of honey and sherry come through. Vanilla sweetness and smoky, nutty hints.

FINISH: After adding water, malty goodness and honey.

RATING: EXCELLENT

When I had a first sip of the  Armorik Millesime 2002 without water, I thought, ” oh hell no”. Then I added a (fair) bit of water and all the discordant notes softened into a beautifully balanced, coherent unit.

A great balance between the sherry notes and the bourbon vanilla with lashings of malty goodness. I certainly need to try more from this unique French distillery.

Also Read: Hammerhead 1989 Vintage whisky


Jeannette Wentzel

View Comments

Share
Published by
Jeannette Wentzel

Recent Posts

Remy Martin XO Cognac

Let's change things up. This past weekend, we celebrated a special memory by opening some…

2 weeks ago

Loch Lomond Steam and Fire Whisky

Continuing with my notes from the Loch Lomond distillery visit, I'm diving into the Loch…

3 weeks ago

Chivas Regal 12 vs Glenfiddich 12 year old Whisky

Chivas Regal 12 vs Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky: a battle of two iconic drams.…

1 month ago

Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla Edition whisky

My husband John is a frequent traveller. Recently, he brought home the Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla…

1 month ago

White Horse Blended Scotch Whisky

Over the years, I have explored a variety of affordable whiskies, including releases from India…

2 months ago

Dewar’s White Label vs Famous Grouse Whisky

Looking around my whisky room, I was in the mood for an uncomplicated side-by-side comparison.…

2 months ago