Castarède Armagnac Réserve de la Famille

Nose contains plum, vanilla, buttered toast, and nougat. In the palate, there's leather, mid range caramels, nutmeg, oak, and mandarines. The finish is where it gets quite interesting. Rancio comes forward, gently, with a faint musty and cooked fruit note. There's overcooked biscuits, shoe polish, and a slight creamy note not unlike whey. It's impeccably smooth with a medium finish and lingering bit of jam on the roof of the mouth.

1996. $16 in Canada