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Delord Armagnac 25 Year
Distiller Score 95
Bold but not lacking in subtlety, the Delord 25 year Armagnac is a great example of what armagnac should be! The nose is dense and woody with notes of orange, prune, allspice and dried flowers. The palate picks up where the aromatics left off with lush fruit. Flavors of peach, dates, orange, bananas and cherry round things off. This spirit is big, playful, and aromatic and wood pervades everything here in the best way possible.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Pellehaut 1989 Armagnac Ténarèze
Distiller Score 89
This unadulterated brandy sparkles in the glass with a vibrant red/orange hue. The aromatics are typical ugni blanc, that is: candied citrus, baked almond, and white flower. At a wise 24 years of age the armagnac has mature oaky flavors, but also a youthful kick absent in some of Pellehaut's older vintages. (This is probably a result of the robust 49.9 degrees of alcohol.) Recommended as a great value in brown spirits, but not for the meek. Think more Booker's than Basil's. In a world where 20 year single malt has crossed into triple-digit pricing and similarly aged American whiskey is a memory, we should be thankful for the Gascognian patience with these bottles.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Pellehaut Armagnac Ténarèze Reserve
Distiller Score 83
This shows a bit differently from the other vintage Pellehaut currently on the market. The addition of folle blanche to the blend gives a yellow flower and chamomile tea character that doesn’t appear to be found in the vintages. The addition of water to lower the alcohol to 42.5% also lowers the general viscosity and eases some of the grippy oak tannins that older expressions show. All of this being said, this makes for an excellent introduction to the category, but may be a hair too soft for dyed-in-the-wool armagnac fans. They should seek out the very good 1989 vintage for around 20 dollars more a bottle.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Tariquet Bas-Armagnac XO
Distiller Score 89
There's still a little dried fruit lurking on the aroma, but the wood and spice notes take over with that same hint of licorice found in the VSOP bottling. The Armagnac has a medium-rich body and the brandy has enough of a sweetness to carry you to through the mid-palate, but doesn't take over and hide the other characters in the brandy. The woody flavors come through at the end creating a dry, but not abrupt, finish.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno