Four armagnacs today. We start with a closed estate Michel Tartas, which was bottled by Authentic Spirits. Next up there are names we had before: Chateau Garreau 1976, Hontambère 2014 selected by Le Blog à Roger and Domaine Pouy bottled by L’Encantada.
Bas-Armagnac Michel Tartas 32 yo 1992 (43,1%, Authentic Spirits 2024, 50 cl)
Nose: quite an aromatic and friendly profile, rather cognac-like with juicy fruits. Peaches and nectarines, with some tangerine underneath. Great mango after a while. Drier hints leather. Then a nice hint of star anise and crushed mint leaves, along with a subtle floral edge.
Mouth: still bright and vibrant, now displaying a combination of peach, minty freshness and orange. Then there’s cedar wood, with a resinous touch and some herbal tea. More mint. Very light honey. You get the wood influence but it doesn’t come with a tannic note.
Finish: medium, with mint tea and liquorice, as well as orange blossom.
Very gentle and refined armagnac, at some point closer to cognac or even a very old whisky. What I reviewed was actually one of the first releases from Authentic Spirits in 2024. This is now impossible to find, but they did a new bottling in 2026 so I hope you don’t mind I included the image of that bottle instead. Available from Cognac-Expert for instance.
Bas-Armagnac Garreau 1976 (50,1%, OB 2026)
Nose: richer and sweeter than the Tartas. This is more on stewed fruits, even more tropical as well. Mango and guavas. Then ginger biscuits and slightly darker fruits like plums. Also a hint of cask char here, with a typical mint / floral edge.
Mouth: sweet and sour tropical notes, mango and papaya along with bright berries and a hint of bergamot. Add to this some resinous notes and mint leaves and we’re suddently thinking of TDL rum. A little herbal tea and ginger, along with cedar, subtle vanilla and a balanced peppery kick.
Finish: quite long, with more fruity echoes, a drying hint of leather and walnuts.
We had a similar (single cask) bottling from The Whisky Jury. This could be a tad fruitier still, just lovely. I got this from Piacere Rinato but I believe it is a wider release. Score: 90/100
Armagnac Hontambère 12 yo 2014 (54,5%, RAC Spirits for Le Blog à Roger & Hedonist 2026, Folle Blanche, cask #H1, 50cl)
Nose: rather heathery start, with hints of pine and walnuts. Then there’s a touch of orchard fruit and subtle pastry notes, but overall it feels a tad rustic after the others – of course it’s much younger too. Hints of grapes, aniseed and white pepper, along with the typical floral character of Folle Blanche.
Mouth: now a nice pineapple sweetness comes out, along with plum eau-de-vie, brioche notes, oranges and honey. Some nougat, subtle vanilla and toffee. Quite vivid, and this impression is underligned by a herbal element. Liquorice in the end.
Finish: medium, still fresh but not very pronounced.
Very precise, with a rustic side but also nice fruity notes and a pleasant overall elegance. A good compromise between complexity and affordability. Better check with Laurent if you’re interested in buying. Score: 86/100
Armagnac Pouy 25 yo 1998 (57,9%, L’Encantada 2025, Ugni Blanc + Colombard, cask #99, 50cl, 56 btl.)
Nose: orchard fruits and oranges, some nice waxy notes (paraffin), hints of almonds. Als honeysuckle, rhubarb and apples. No shortage of freshness again. Then mild vanilla, just a whiff of rubber in the background, and dried flower petals.
Mouth: still fragrant and fruity. That means citrus fruits, tart peaches, apple and tangerines, along with mentholated notes and liquorice to add depth. The high ABV highlights the resinous, mentholated and woody notes, but it remains drinkable. Later also delicate vanilla, ginger and hints of kirsch spirit.
Finish: quite long, with more of that woody heat. Liquorice and marmalade bitterness.
Certainly more powerful than the others in this session. Also more focused on wood influence than fruitiness. This was also sent to me by Piacere Rinato, thanks! Score: 87/100