French whisky

History

Wine and fruit spirits have been distilled in France for centuries, but whisky came late. Warenghem, founded in Lannion, Brittany, at the beginning of the 20th century, started producing whisky at the end of the 1980s and launched Armorik, its single malt, at the end of the 1990s. Since then dozens of distilleries have been born, from cognac and calvados houses adding whisky to their range to projects devoted to it alone, and Brittany and Alsace now have their own geographical indications for whisky.

What the law says

European rules apply in France: whisky must be made from grain, matured for at least three years in wooden casks of up to 700 litres and bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV. The geographical indications of Brittany and Alsace add their own requirements about where it is made.

Style and flavour

French whisky has no single style, but many distilleries make use of wine, cognac or calvados casks, which bring fruit and spice. Armorik uses traditional pot stills and matures in bourbon and sherry casks, and some versions spend time in Breton oak; the result is smooth, with honey, fruit and a briny touch. Other houses experiment with unusual grains such as buckwheat.

Where to start

Armorik Classic is the gateway to French whisky: a smooth Breton single malt with honey, fruit and a briny edge. It’s a good example of how the country’s distilling tradition also knows how to work with barley, and an interesting alternative to light Scotch single malts.

• Armorik ClassicSingle malt · 46% ABV