Time to work through a small stash of Armagnac samples from different bottlers. There’s a wide variety of houses such as Domaine de Bellair, Domaine d’Espérance, Château Garreau, Balous, Lous Mouracs and Laubade.
Interestingly there are two bottlers taking their first shot at armagnac: The Whisky Jury and The Colours of Armagnac (a name dedicated to rum until now).
Bas-Armagnac Domaine D’Espérance 23 yo 2001 (49,7%, The Colours of Armagnac 2025, cask #71, 210 btl.)
Nose: there’s a wave of freshly toasted oak (bourbon style) at first, which makes place for prunes, raisins and candied orange peels. Then dark honey and caramel notes, along with some vanilla pastry and hints of baking spice, especially nutmeg.
Mouth: the toasted wood is getting firmer now, with the bitterness of coffee and herbal extracts. Drying tobacco leaves, more nutmeg and ginger, as well as light resinous notes. Sandalwood. Some dried fruits underneath, along with burnt caramel.
Finish: quite long, still dark and rather wood-driven. Cigar boxes, heavily infused herbal tea and caramelized notes.
This is 100% Folle Blanche. Quite a robust start, with a fair deal of wood coming through. Not necessarily my preferred style of armagnac, but the ABV helps to keep the balance.
Bas-Armagnac Château Garreau / Balous 10 yo 2014 (53,3%, Decadent Drinks 2025, 120 btl.)
Nose: whiffs of “nightlife district” at first (that would be a mild hint of vomit), mixed with a sour farmy hint and wet leaves. I didn’t see that coming. There’s also a funky hint of tepache and green grape skins, along with a subtle ashy hint. After settling down, it delivers flashes of yellow fruits and dried wildflowers. Totally unexpected.
Mouth: more accessible, even though it’s still a rather sharp mix of grape juice with bags of salt, pine resin and peppermint. Still some vaguely farmy elements, along with grappa and grape seeds, sunflower oil and hints of grapefruit skins.
Finish: medium, with hints of (unflavoured) tsipouro and mildly bitter herbs.
This is 100% Baco. Independent bottlers usually don’t venture into this category of young spirits, so this is definitely a bold choice. A very peculiar profile. I had to try this on different occasions (as always with samples that don’t “click” right away) and I have to admit it grows on you. Score: 85/100
Bas-Armagnac Château Garreau 1976 (50,1%, The Whisky Jury 2025, cask #24)
Nose: from the same house, really? This is elegant and vibrant, with a lot of juicy notes. Raspberry and redcurrant, along with dried fruits like raisins and figs. Then plenty of polished furniture, beeswax and nice hints of tobacco underneath. A few drops of old Oloroso. It also shows a rancio note and a clarity that brings it closer to cognac.
Mouth: starts well, with this fruity core again. Figs and dates, with brighter berries and hints of bergamot and orange peels. A subtle floral note (rose petals) too. Mid-palate it turns towards herbal tea with a little ginger. There’s some tannins as well, along with clove oil and a woody edge.
Finish: long, a combination of dried fruits, walnuts and some leathery hints.
A lovely armagnac from the start to the finish. There’s a bit of tangy oak coming through, but perfectly in line with expectations for such an old armagnac. Pretty excellent and a great first selection. Score: 90/100
Armagnac Lous Mouracs 35 yo 1986 (47,3%, L’Encantada for Armagnac Festival 2025, ref. LM #7.03, 50 cl, 72 btl.)
Nose: elegant waves of tobacco at first, along with some mentholated notes and hints of polished oak. Then almonds, a little vanilla and some dried apricots. Candied orange peels as well.
Mouth: a very nice flavour profile. More apricots and yellow plums, a little vanilla and plenty of minty notes. This moves towards resinous hints and some clove oil, which makes it a little thin and lightweight, lacking some of the darker notes.
Finish: long and slightly rougher now, with an alcohol / oak combination and plenty of mint again.
Really elegant and much more classic, even though it loses some of its refinement and richness as it goes down. Score: 89/100
While we’re at it, here’s an even older example from the same house.
Armagnac Lous Mouracs 1982 (51,9%, L’Encantada for Liquid Art 2025, ref LM #6.01, 89 btl.)
Nose: lots of fruity notes right away, like cherries, raspberries and fresh plums, along with generous amounts of furniture polish. Great. Then fragrant leather, orange peels, exotic hardwood and some oriental spice. Some pipe tobacco and some earthy hints as well.
Mouth: more fruits, in the form of raspberry, cassis and figs. A nice juicy acidity, paired to gingery notes and a punch of pepper. Now more towards blackberries and black cherries again. Some marmalade and cocoa in the end.
Finish: long, dark but also refined, with mildly drying leather and hints of sandalwood.
Totally classic again, with a lot of refinement and vivid fruity notes that always push things higher. In line with the Garreau 1976 although that one is a little more expressive still. Really good, still available from Liquid Art direct. Score: 90/100
Bas-Armagnac Laubade 23 yo 2001 (50,7%, Grape of the Art 2025, cask #90, 251 btl.)
Nose: fairly fruity, but more in the jammy peach / pear / marmalade territory. Yellow fruits with hints of vanilla and ginger. Also a bit of that typical metallic undertone, as well as a grainy touch. Even some sugary rum notes at times.
Mouth: candied fruits and stone fruits, with hints of pear and pineapple in the background. Then the metallic side comes back, along with ginger and pepper, up to the point where it becomes ever so slightly medicinal. Candied lemon peels, some toasted wood and hints of leathery dryness in the end.
Finish: medium length, with dried fruits, drying liquorice roots and some honeyed notes.
This is more of a yellow fruit style, with more youth, less complexity and a peculiar mineral / metallic note that is a little out of place. Very easy to drink though, could you make highballs with armagnac? Score: 88/100
Bas-Armagnac Laubade 35 yo 1989 (59,1%, Milroy’s of Soho ‘Vintage Reserve’ 2024, hogshead #38536)
Nose: clearly more polished oak in this one, as well as caramelized nuts. Hints of gingerbread, quinces and orange peels, along with dried wildflowers. Then blackberries, cinnamon and vanilla, prunes and quite a bit of black peppercorns.
Mouth: quite dark and quite hot. Brown sugar, toasted wood and black pepper. Then pine needles and mentholated notes, as well as some nutmeg and allspice. Hints of baked apple and fig jam in the background, but they are struggling to get heard under the tannins and cigar boxes. The wood also brings a fragrant element.
Finish: long, quite mentholated, with a profound earthy note but mostly a numbing combination of wood and alcohol.
This was 100% Colombard, matured in a Gascony ‘black oak’ barrel. Quite the opposite of the 2001, richer and far more wood-driven. Even a little over-oaked, with the appearance of floral potpourri. Fairly cheap but a little over the top, in my opinion. Score: 86/100
Armagnac Domaine Pouy 25 yo 1998 (58,7%, The Colours of Armagnac ‘Up Spirits Club’ 2025, cask #93, 120 btl.)
Nose: fairly floral and citrusy. Orange and lemon peels, hints of jasmine and vanilla. Then also quinces and peaches, as well as grapes. A few heady aromas as well, like rose petals, cardamom oil, honeysuckle and mint.
Mouth: a mix of floral notes again, with coconut sweetness, vanilla and some lightly tropical fruits. Think apricots, gooseberries, yellow plums and a touch of mango. Then mentholated notes, liquorice and oranges. Nice balance of sweet and tart. A bit of toffee sweetness appears towards the finish.
Finish: medium to long, with a bit of alcohol heat along with orchard fruits, marmalade and hints of liquorice.
From a silent producer this time (they ceased production in 2009), and a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard. A very elegant profile again, with a rather juicy profile and a high level of drinkability. Score: 89/100
Bas-Armagnac Bellair 23 yo 1998 (59,2%, L’Encantada for Armagnac Festival 2025, cask #78, 39 btl.)
Nose: peaches, damsons and floral notes now (flower jelly and peonies), with a good dose of honey. Rather rounded, with a nice touch of muscat aromatics. Then slightly darker oxidative notes, along with mint, a drop of balsamic and wood varnish.
Mouth: now entirely towards mint and herbs, with an even bigger dose of varnish and resins. Quite woody, but in an aromatic way. There are some bright fruity hints to keep things in check. Some honey and citrus acidity as well.
Finish: medium to long, with more tart fruits, liquorice and minty oak.
Nice, borderline oaky on the palate but I really liked the nose. There’s a bright fruitiness at its core as well. And such a low outturn! Score: 88/100