Brandy Banter

One of my favourite brandies, 1981 Bas-Armagnac Delord bottled in 2014. An LCBO Exclusive (they got this one right).

I keep at least one bottle of brandy open at any given time. Right now its a 1999/2018 Baron Gaston Legrand Bas Armagnac, which we opened for our 19th Anniversary back in 2018.

Good idea for a thread @paddockjudge!

I got a Baron De Sigognac 10 Ans Bas Armagnac at Xmas and I have to say I have been a bit disappointed with it. Very harsh and nippy (is that the style? I'd assume not but I don't know) on the nose and it follows through onto the palate with little flavour and a non existent finish.

The nose is quite nice, if you're patient - with lots of nuts, caramel and raisin and a little oak - but it tastes far too weak and watery with, as mentioned, that unpleasant nip.

I've decanted it and decided to leave it for a few months to see what happens.

Loved my last bottle of Carlos 1 Spanish brandy though - Very sweet, lots of vanilla and sherry notes (aged in ex-bodega sherry casks). Still weak on the palate but certainly quaffable.

@RianC, my experience with Armagnac has taught me it often smells better than it tastes, especially the younger iterations. It needs time in oak to mellow, a long time. I find the transition from candied and bright, to rich and chewy, possibly with hints of rancio, occurring around the twenty-five year mark. This is not a hard and fast rule as the quality and condition of the oak barrels will be a determining factor. Every once in a while you may come across one where the palate exceeds the nose and the finish pleasantly encourages you to try another.

There are many fine young Armagnac to be found. Last year @fiddich1980 introduced me, as well as @Nozinan, and @crickelwood to a fine young cask strength release of Bas Armagnac Chateau De Bordeneuve 2008. A spicy little number at 49.2% abv. Good balance, a sweet and bright (a hint of nutmeg?) entry followed by oak tannins carrying through to a clean, honeyed, peppery finish. Good value for $80 - $90 CDN.

There are higher proof Armagnac, single barrel Armagnac, blended, single source, etc,. Each of these characteristics contribute to the overall quality of this particular style of brandy. Sharing information, and possibly a few pours, will help us all in our understanding of these intoxicating spirits.

@paddockjudge I agree with your assessment of this young and rich Armagnac. I am (slowly) enjoying my bottle thanks to your alerting me to it. I was lucky to find a second bottle which I will give to my son one day, as it was distilled the year he was born.

No discussion of Brandy is complete without the mention of Fred's Spirit, which I tasted in Manas, in Xinjiang China, straight from the cask. Created at China's largest winery, by a Frenchman (Fred), I later received as a gift an unmarked bottle containing the cask strength liquid a little further on in maturation. I taste and share it rarely, but willingly.

@Nozinan, Fred's Spirit, from Manas, in Xinjiang China, is a beautifully crafted eau-de-vie. It is truly delightful and and a feelgood story about Fred who is a French winemaker plying his trade in China...and experimenting with brandy making. I think he's doing a great job! ...and...@Nozinan, thank you for sharing!

@paddockjudge Having met him and his ascerbic personality, the idea of a "feel good" story gave me a chuckle...

Unfortunately I never made it to Xinjiang during my time in China. I loved their restaurants. Like a mix of Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisine. A French winemaker in Xinjiang of all places. My wife makes it seem like western China is desolate.

@casualtorture the capital was the most crowded city I saw. Even Shehezi was a “town” of a million. They produce more fruits and vegetables than anywhere in the world I am told.

And the food was awesome!

And the wine was exported to France. Apparently popular in ..... Chinese restaurants.

@Nozinan well that's ironic.

@casualtorture I am not a wine expert, but the oak aged red was quite tasty, and the sweet white (my wife likes sweet wine) as well.

@Nozinan I've not learned to enjoy wine like I do whisky. But I do like anything made with Dornfelder grapes. It's a German sweet red wine. That's about the extent of my wine knowledge.

@casualtorture I visited a winery in Nova Scotia where they create wines in the Amarone style (grape drying). y favourite wine comes from there. It's 500 cc bottles but as the only red wine drinker in my home, I rarely get to taste it.

@paddockjudge - I have a sample of an older Armagnac from @cricklewood that I'm yet to try - it will make an interesting comparison. Cheers, mate.

Brandy is distilled wood-aged spirit made from wine. Wine is fermented fruit. There are vast universes within universes of experiences available in all of these types of spirits. I like them all. I've had some outstanding examples in several various categories of fruit spirits. It's a big world I intend to explore further. At this point I am not at all sure that I prefer grape spirits to spirits from other fruits, especially plums. Apples, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, they all make some outstanding spirits in the hands of a skilled operator.

@paddockjudge when next you visit my sister, try her 9 or so apple brandies. Or one of her 4 or so plum brandies/Slivovitzes. She and I have both become Slivovitz people. My general preference in spirits by category is: 1) whisky, 2) tequila, 3) Slivovitz, 4) Rhum Agricole.

@Victor I hope that invitation is flexible in terms of number of people invited....

@Nozinan you are always included!

@Victor, I can't wait to visit! I am looking forward to sampling many Calvados and Slivovitz. Naturally I'll be travelling with @Nozinan, he recently purchased a new automobile.

@paddockjudge The man who started me on my road to perdition / whiskey journey first gave me a bottle of scotch and a bottle of cognac. His second gift was Calvados. I have still not opened it. But I admit I remain curious...

One year into this pandemic and I’ve not done much other than work. My recreation targeted dollars were piling up, creating a conflict with my disposable income. Not to worry, I quickly resolved that situation by focusing on Independent Bottlings, Armagnac, Cognac, and Rum. It didn’t take long to balance the surplus.

This particular bottle is a bucket list bottle, a vintage from my birth year. Normally out of my reach yet more affordable than whisky of the same age, obtainable only because of an abnormal situation. I have not opened it, that will happen when I am able to enjoy it with family and friends.

Man, I'd totally forgot about this thread! Over xmas, I picked up a bottle of supermarket armagnac to allow a base comparison between that and the older ones I've bought.

tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/…

Not too expensive, an award winner and with some decent reviews. Recently did a taste off with that and the 10 & 20 Baron de Sigognacs I have open. Verdict: well, the colour and syrup in the own brand was clearly evident, and it was high in vanilla flavours, but overall not bad and just about at a sipping level - tasted more like regular brandy to me though and had little spice going on.

The 10 v 20 was interesting: enjoyed the freshness and 'zip' of the 10 and would say it was more quaffable. The 20 was richer, smoother (yes!) and with more oak on the finish, but not over oaked at all. I'd pick the 20 most days but the 10, and even the budget bottle at a pinch, are perfect for more casual drinking.

@RianC Supermarket Armagnac..... such a beast does not exist in Canada...

@Nozinan - not all supermarkets have their own armagnac but likely have a brandy of some description. I would guess this bottling comes through their wine connections?

I'd normally be hesitant buying such things but it was recommended to me by a brandy drinker I know.

@RianC, the sample from @cricklewood,I may have tried that older Armagnac. We have sipped a few older brandies over the years in our N. American Connosr sessions.

Since I have been directed to this thread, I thought it would be only appropriate to re-post my Armagnac photos here. The first will be the Marie Duffau Hors d' Age 12yo, which was the first bottle I purchased. This will be followed by my bottle of the 2000 Vintage Darroze Domaine De Poutëou, 21yo.

And as I mentioned on the thread about recent purchase and why, all of the options for Armagnac here in Colorado seem to be 40 to 43% abv, and I had to go online to get the Darroze, which seen in the photo is 50% abv. Also, I can say, buying this was a bit of a gamble, and although I didn't win Power Ball large jackpot, I think I got a winner here.

@paddockjudge - I had that one before Xmas, side by side with the 10 BdS I have open. Should of put the notes here but forgot (probably on the 'What am I Drinking ...' Thread). It was a 40 something Delord, if I remember right.

I REALLY enjoyed it! So much so it prompted me to splurge on three 20+ bottles over the festive period It would be great fun to partake in another of those online sessions but the time difference does make it tricky - where there's a will, I guess!? Either way, It's good to know there are some armagnac aficionados at close hand ...

@Victor - I hope to sample some local Somerset apple brandy later this year. Given I like cider, brandy, spirits and apples, it would be a shock if I didn't enjoy it! And, I know @Timp may balk at this suggestion, but Somerset has a reputation for producing the best apples in the UK. Not being a local boy (by birth) I have no iron in the fire, but I'd be hard pressed to disagree. Although, and @Timp will no doubt laugh heartily at this one (being a Devon boy), I think ciders from Cornwall are the best.

@paddockjudge @RianC yes it was Delord 1978-2018 from my b-day. I still have a few nostalgic drams left in the bottle. It was a soft but pleasant drinker. I sampled the 1980-2020 vintage I picked up for another connosr and it had much more expressive palate. Either way I think it's hard to go wrong with these older Delord, they are quality even at lower proofs and wallet friendly prices.

Two of my four purchases have arrived. I am expecting another to arrive tomorrow (Wednesday) and the other maybe next week. I had purchased two more bottles of the Darroze Domaine de Poutëou Vintage 2000, 21yo, while I was enjoying my first glass. Well, I inspired so much that I ordered two bottles of the Darroze Domaine de Martin Vintage 1992, 29yo, and 50%abv. I have been watching the videos on Youtube on what I think is the official channel called, Armagnacs Darroze. If it isn't the official channel, the videos are still quality. I am sure many of you have your favorites or 'go to' armagnace, but as you all know, I am just getting into 'them'. I think, however, I have chosen well. Wait for my next posts of my other two purchases, but I am quite excited about them.

A bit of a teaser, the one that is supposed to arrive on Wedneday, is not a Darroze armagnac.

@RianC Haha no offence taken mate. Like you, not a local boy by birth. Lived in Devon for 20+ years now but born and raised in Surrey. Weirdly we did have old local orchards ( grew up with one next door ) and there were a couple of traditional cider houses near by, which provided great entertainment to us teenagers! I guess a remnant of what most southern counties had back in the day.

Back to your comment, although I have had some stunning Devon ciders, Sampford Orchards Devon Mist and Devon Red to name two, I have tasted most cider from Somerset and my favourite is Pilton keeved cider.

Haven’t had much from Cornwall tbh which no doubt is sacrilege to my patriotic Cornish mates. They do like to promote their county and everything it produces! To say the least! Haha. Must try harder when next down there. Any suggestions?