A recap for those that missed part 1 and part 2: I'm well versed in the world of bourbon but have absolutely no idea what I am doing when it comes to Armagnac. What follows are some raw notes from Armagnacs I've tried lately - some were samples, some where bottle splits, and most were drank with zero knowledge of backstory or supposed quality.
Domaine de Baraillon 1988 28 year Folle Blanche, 46%
The nose is very nice - I can already tell this is in my wheelhouse. It smells old and kinda funky but in a great way. Dark sugars, smoked meats, leather. The taste is more of those same notes with a lot of added caramel sweetness. Dark sugar soaked dates, plums, old oak, wood varnish. It's rich and complex with a wide range of sweets, oak depth, and oddball funk notes. This probably isn't for everyone but I love it. Rating: B+
Baraillon 1987 29 year 43%
The nose and taste are lots of classic old Armagnac flavors that you'd expect in this age range but a bit more oak forward. The oak slightly overpowers some of the rich sugary date/grape/raisin flavors I tend towards. It's also slightly spicy, perhaps it's wood spice? It's easy to drink and not as thin as expected for 43%. Overall, it's pretty great but loses points for being almost over-oaked and not as deep in sweet flavors as my favorites. Rating: B
Chateau de la Grangerie 2001 14 year K&L Exclusive Armagnac, 45%
Initial getting a familiar but surprising flavor - it’s some kind of fruit or berry. Something tropical perhaps? It drinks pretty warm and is hotter than I expected for 45% but not in a bad way - the heat is pretty nice actually. The finish lasts quite a while. It’s not as wood heavy as I prefer but it is tasty. I did get a slightly soapy note in the finish, I have to wonder if that was the sample bottle. The distinct fruit note here is driving me insane trying to place it. I want to say it’s more like some kind of grape candy or NuGrape soda now. I’d love this one more if it had more wood depth as it’s a little light on the hyper aged Armagnac profile that I gravitate towards. Rating: C+ / B-
1987 Domaine de Jean-Bon 28 Year Old "K&L Exclusive" Bas Armagnac, 45%
The nose is fortified grapey wine notes, a bit of leather, and a spice note that is familiar but I can’t quite place. It smells fruity and sweet but somewhat thin for 45%. The taste is a lot more of the same. There are some light brown sugar notes and some wood depth but it’s really missing those old rich brown sugar raisin flavors I want. The finish is a little tannic and bitter without a lot of sweetness coming through. The alcohol presence also seems a little forward, almost like a younger craft whiskey. Considering the age and proof I expected a lot more. Rating: C+ / B-
This bottle came from a 3 bottle split I did. The other two were 1974 Domaine de Jean-Bon 41 Year Old "K&L Exclusive" Bas Armagnac and 1981 Domaine du Cardinat 34 Year Old "K&L Exclusive" Bas Armagnac. Unfortunately I didn't write down my notes on those two other than a letter grade but I had the 1974 Jean-Bon somewhere in the B range and the 1981 Cardinat in the A- to A range. The Cardinat remains one of my favorite Armagnacs to this day.
Thoughts: After a rough showing with apple and pear brandies last time around, these were a welcome change. Up next in the final installment, I saved the best for last as I'll run through four different L'Encantadas.
Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.
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