Armorik Review

Country: France

Brand: Armorik "Edition Originale"

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age:  NAS (My Guess: 3-5 Years)

ABV: 40 %

Date: 27/07/2013

Colour: Light Amber

Nose: Rather discrete. Not unlike some light Irish or Canadian spirits. Unfortunately there's not too much going on here. Lots of Cereals and Green Wood. I also find Buttered Toast, Green Apples, Lemon and Honey. A typical young whisky. The Alcohol is a bit rough but does not really sting. No off-notes to be found.

Palate: Malt, Sweet Cereals, rather Bitter Wood, Lemon, Caramel, light Honey and slightly Bitter Orange-Juice.

Finish: Short, Light but Rough with Cereals and slightly Bitter Wood. The Armorik leaves a light Burning sensation on your Palate.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets additional Floral tones. More Butter as well. On the Palate it becomes really light but the Bitter Oak retreats somewhat. It burns slightly less as well. On the whole the added Water makes Armorik a bit more palatable.

Rating: 72

Nose: 18.5  - Taste: 18  - Finish: 17.5 - Overall: 18

General Remarks: The Armorik Single Malt is distilled at the Warenghem Distillery, founded at the end of the 19th century by the Warenghem Family. It is located in Lannion (Brittany) on the banks of the river Leguer. The Armorik was the first Single Malt in Brittany, introduced in 1999. The Distillery also produces beer and liqueurs. The Armorik is double distilled in copper stills using a blend of French Malted Barley and Granite-Filtered Water from a well on the Distillery ground. It matures mainly in Ex-Bourbon Casks but also some Refill Ex-Sherry butts are used. This Armorik costs between 25 and 30 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average 

Conclusion: This is my first French Single Malt and I can't say I like the Armorik Original Edition a lot. It has all the characteristics of a young whisky. Lots of Cereals and Green Wood. In a Blind Tasting Session I could have easily identified this as a Bottom-Shelf Blended Whisky. The reason is the overall Grainy feel to this Dram. So while I enjoyed the experiment, I can't see myself drinking a full bottle of Armorik. Will try and get some of the other expressions of this distillery!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  July 2013

Willett Straight Rye Review

Country: USA

Brand: Willett 

Type: Straight Rye Whiskey 

Age: 6 Years

ABV: 55 %

Sample Provided By: Derek, USA. Thanks!  

Date: 25/07/2013

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Strong Aromas. The Wood and Pencil Shavings are very prominent but not yet as dominant as in for instance the Noah's Mill 15 Years. There are also lots of Vanilla, Cinnamon, Buttered Rye Bread, Glue and Chewing Gum Mint. But also some Fruity tones. Sometimes I got Orange but at other moments I thought I recognised Banana, Peach, Watermelon or Cherries. A bit of Sweet Corn and Pine as well. The Alcohol is strong but does not really sting. The Nose is pleasant and balanced but not as "addictive" as Templeton Rye.

Palate: Sweet but not Innocent. Holy Cow! Powerful stuff with Mint leading the way, followed by Oak, Rye, Vanilla, Citrus, Pepper, Candies, Cinnamon and Salted Nuts.

Finish: Long and Strong with Mint, Sugared Almonds, Rye Spices, Oak, Salt, Ginger flavoured Candies, Orange Peel and Cinnamon.

With an ABV of 55% I recommend to add a bit of Water if you want to have an entertaining evening with a bottle of Willett Straight Rye. An Ice Cube or two will do just fine as well. But almost always when I taste Whisky or Bourbon or Rye I feel I'm betraying the Spirit when adding Water. The Body's still there but the Soul has gone elsewhere. That's also the case here.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21  Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: Independent Bottler Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd. (KBD) aka the Willett Distilling Company is family owned and located in Bardstown, Kentucky. Although they have a small production facility that started distilling in 2012, most of their Brand Names like Johnny Drum, Old Bardstown, Willett, Noah's Mill and Rowan's Creek (just to name a few) are distilled elsewhere, most likely mainly at nearby Heaven Hill Distillery. The Willett Straight Rye we are tasting today is a Single Barrel Rye Whiskey (Barrel # 56) matured during 6 years in New White Oak and hand-bottled from the Barrel at the Willett Family Estate Distillery Farm. It is priced at around 50 US Dollars. By law, Rye Whiskey must be distilled from at least 51% Rye. The other ingredients are usually Corn and Malted Barley. I would suspect that the Rye content in the Mash Bill is much higher in this case.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is a well-crafted strong Rye Whiskey, characterised by Wood and Vanilla on the Nose and strong Mint and Ginger flavours on the Palate and in the Finish. It's unusually cold in Sao Paulo today (July 24) with 8 degrees Celsius at 21.30 in the evening. So a strong shot of Willett's Straight Rye was just what the doctor ordered!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        July 2013