Armorik Maître de Chai - Limited Edition

Armorik Maître de Chai - Limited Edition, NAS, 47,3 %

The dram of the day is another release from Distillerie Warenghem, France. The Armorik Maître de Chai is a limited release, with only 1000 bottles released. It was launched in 2014.

Maître de Chai means “master of the warehouse”, and is the term usually for the master blender of a distillery in France. For this release Warenghem used 1st fill Oloroso casks for the first 4 years, and then they gave the whisky a 2 year finish in refill bourbon casks. This whisky is sold out from the distillery now. We got to try it at the recent Bergen International Whisky & Beer Festival.

A few bottles have found their way to Norway and are available to buy at NOK 1095. Contact the importer Daracha directly to arrange the purchase if you are interested.

Nose (22/25): I pick up a distinct wine note which I am not quite able to place. Baked apples. Malt and the crust of freshly baked bread. It is quite nutty - walnuts and unsalted peanuts. Soft oak notes, dried fruits lingering in the background.

Taste (21/25): Oily and rich mouth-feel. Pepper, chili, oak and nuts. The dried fruits appear after a while.

Finish (22/25): Oily and creamy. Incredibly nutty on the finish. Walnuts, peanuts, almonds. Long and enjoyable.

Balance (22/25): I really loved the creamy nuttiness of this dram. Quite unusual to have a whisky with this much oak influence and still have it be so soft and delicate.

Score (87/100)

Image from spirituosenland.de.

Sláinte! - Thomas