Armorik — The first Breton single malt whisky, shaped by the climate of the Pink Granite Coast

No other single malt resembles Armorik. It is born in Breton lands, Celtic cousins of Scotland and Ireland, in a small independent distillery founded in 1900 in Lannion, led by only two families across more than a century. In 1983, Gilles Leizour committed Warenghem to the whisky adventure — against the advice of those around him. The WB blend was released in 1987. A few years later, a distillery entirely dedicated to whisky was built, equipped with copper pot still alembics forged by the Charente coppersmith Prulho, of Scottish inspiration. In 1998, Armorik was born: the first Breton and French single malt whisky.

Every Armorik bottle is a reflection of our territory: French, Breton and organic barley, water from the granite depths beneath the distillery, slow ageing in our warehouses under the oceanic climate of the north Breton coast — relatively constant temperatures, cool winds laden with sea spray, generous rainfall that promotes harmonious maturation. All Armorik whiskies meet the requirements of the Whisky Breton Geographical Indication.

In Brief — The Armorik Whisky

Raw materials

Organic French malted barley (with one third harvested in Brittany from small farmers). Spring water from the granite depths beneath the distillery. 2 types of dry yeasts.

Distillation

Slow double distillation (6 to 7 hours per pass) in 5,000 and 3,500 litre copper pot stills, forged by the Charente coppersmith Prulho. 2 batches per day, 6 days per week. 1.2 tonnes of malt per batch — 5,800 litres of wort obtained, 620 litres of distillate collected at 73°.

Ageing

Over 5,000 casks distributed across 3 warehouses. Mainly ex-bourbon casks (60%), oloroso sherry (15%) and STR (20%), with the remainder comprising Breton oak casks and more atypical barrels. Overseen by Erwan Lefebvre, cellar master, trained oenologist.