Warenghem

Introduction:

Blended Whiskies such as Breizh made from 50% grain and 50% malt or the first Breton Whisky, WB, with 75% grain and 25% malt are still integral components of Warenghem’s standard range.  Internationally successful and acclaimed are of course the Armorik Single Malts. The standard range comprises: Armorik Edition Originale: The first Breton Single Malt. It’s matured in Bourbon casks, which give it spicy, slightly woody, fruity and malty notes.

Armorik Classic This Single Malt from Sherry and Bourbon casks is one of the cornerstones of the Warenghem Distillery. Fruity aromas, grain and spices contribute to a full – bodied, complex taste.

Armorik Sherry Finish After maturation in Bourbon casks this Single Malt is finished in Sherry casks, which gives it full-bodied notes of dry fruits, which interact with grain, wood and spicy aromas.

Armorik Double Matured After several years of maturation in Breton oak casks, the Whisky is further matured in Sherry casks. The fresh wood gives this Armorik a special spicy and woody aroma that is accompanied by citrus notes, apples, toffee, honey and grain.

Besides there are a lot of single casks bottlings and special cask editions.

The Production:

Considering the climate in Celtic Brittany, it’s no wonder that Armorik Whisky of Warenghem Distillery emulates the style of Scotch Whisky. The sea, salty air, raging storms, rain – ideal conditions for the production and maturation of Whisky.

The Mashing:

The water used at Warenghem Distillery is very low in lime. It’s filtered on its way through the granite rocks of the Breton coast for years and then extracted from a depth of 100 metres. French barley malt is used for Armorik Single Malt. The wheat for producing the grain Whisky for the Blends is from Brittany. The grain is delivered fully malted, but is milled at the distillery.

The semi-lauter mash tun has a capacity of 6,000 litres. In it the grist is mashed in water at a temperature of 63°C (145°F) in order to get the necessary sugary wort, which is filtered through a sieve bottom in the mash tun and then led into the fermentation tanks. Here in Lannion the solid residue (draff) is also given to farmers as animal feed, just like in Scotland.

The Fermentation:

After cooling down, the wort is brought to fermentation in the four wash backs with the help of yeast. Fermentation takes 3 – 4 days at Warenghem Distillery and results in a beer (wash) with an alcohol content of 8-10% abv.

The Distillation:

Warenghem uses traditional copper pot stills. Armorik Whisky is double – distilled. Fist in the wash still, which holds 6,000 litres, then in the spirit still, which holds 3,500 litres. The result is a new make with 70% abv.

The Storage:

The new make is diluted to 63% abv before it is filled into the casks. Warenghem uses Bourbon and Sherry casks, but also fresh casks made from French oak from the forests of Cranou and Brocéliande. With Jean Baptiste Le Floc’h in Douarnenez, there’s only one cooper left in Brittany. The forests are protected so you need to cooperate closely with Office National des Forêts (ONF) if you want to use this wood.

The angels’ share, the yearly loss through evaporation, is 3.5% in Lannion. That’s a bit higher than in Scotland due to the slightly milder climate, and the Whisky matures a bit faster.

The History:

The Warenghem family has been living here in Lannion since the end of the 19th century. Léon Warenghem founded the distillery in the city centre. It soon became renowned for a spirit flavoured with 35 herbs, the Elixir d’Armorique, which is still being produced today. This herbal Liqueur is nowadays rounded off with Whisky beside honey. Various fruit brandies and Liqueurs were soon added to the broad range of Warenghem Distillery, which was taken over by the son, Henri, in 1919.
In 1967 Yves Leizour became shareholder and manager of the Warenghem family company, which belonged to Paul-Henri in the third generation. The distillery relocated to the outskirts and expanded its range continuously.
In 1983 the son of Yves Leizour, Gilles Leizour, a trained chemist, took over management of the family company. He’s credited for developing Chouchen Melmor, the famous Breton mead aquavit.
With the development of the first Breton Whisky Gilles entered unchartered territory. He got his knowledge and inspiration from travels to Scottish colleagues. In 1987 the first Blended Whisky was released; in 1988 the first Armorik Single Malt Whisky followed. After its success in France, Warenghem Distillery started international distribution in 2010 and is now a successful actor on the international Whisky scene. David Roussier is now the executive officer of the Warenghem Company, which is still family-owned with Gilles Leizour at the head.
Warenghem contributed decisively to the development and establishment of the protected designation of origin ‘Whisky Breton’.

The Visitor Centre:

The shop at Warenghem Distillery is open all year round.
Opening hours April – September
Monday 02:30 pm – 06:30 pm
Tuesday – Friday 09:30 am – 12:30 pm, 02:30 pm – 05:30 pm
Saturday 09:30 am – 12:30 pm
Opening hours October – March
Monday – Friday 08:30 am – 120 pm, 02:30 pm – 05:30 pm
The Warenghem Distillery can be toured between April and September.
Free guided tours with tasting start at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 03:00 pm, 04:00 pm and 05:00 pm
Guided tours in English or German are offered at 11:00 am and 05:00 pm
Groups must book in advance.

Visitor information:

Distillerie Warenghem
Route de Guingamp, Boutill
22300 Lannion
Bretagne, France
+33 29 6370008