CHÂTEAU DE LAUBADE BAS-ARMAGNAC 2000

Rating: 13/23 This tasting starts my countdown to my tasting of my 2000th booze. Starting at number 1991, I think that this 2000 vintage dram serves as a nice bookend when combined with the dram that will be number 2000. N: Fruity and spicy. Some delicious dried cherries and raisins. This actually smells more like a cognac than an armagnac. That's neither a bad thing nor a good thing. A bit of barrel nuance gradually builds before giving way to some surprising black licorice with a little bit of some other herbal backing. Overall, not the most complex nose, but it's decently complex, solidly balanced, and nicely decadent. It's a winner. P: Less sweet than I'd expected, but still with some nice cherry and raisin. Surprisingly, what hits me the most is a sort of menthol medicinal barrel flavor. This also isn't as full as I'd expected, though that might be a miscallibration in my palate due to the low proof compared to most whiskey. Moving onto another sip, some spices start rising out of the barrel, along with some bitter herbs (like bitters) and a little black licorice. There are faint hints of salt and minerality as well. This is an edgier, less balanced dram than I'd expected. There's surprisingly a little savory meat coming out of bitter smoke as well. It's not a youthful alcohol meatiness, but it does come alongside a bit of alcohol. F: Spice, bitter herbals, a belly of wood, menthol, and touches of salt and brine linger, with occasional hints of floral cherry. It's a bit light and odd, but interesting to try. - Conclusion - This is a weird one. It's not bad, but it is quite challenging. It kind of gives me the vibe of a young scotch finished in a sherry cask. There are some really nice flavors here though. Dudognon Reserve (10/23) is less interesting with more alcohol than this, but it does have a decadent apricot flavor that keeps this from blowing it out of the water. Rémy Martin 1738 (16/23) shows a little more alcohol and menthol than this does, but it's less funky and challenging overall. Between the Dudognon and the Rémy, I think that this is fairly in the middle. If I had to lean one way or another, I'd round this up a little bit, so it's a 13 or 14. I'm thinking a 13. This is just too weird. I'm now even considering a 12.

Nose - grape must, floral notes, plum, cinnamon, nutmeg, toffee, apple, vanilla, orange zest, lemon, milk chocolate, mild ethanol burn. Taste - tart grape, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange, lemon, salted caramel, plum, vanilla, floral notes, ginger, chili pepper, chocolate, sour apple, light oak, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with tart grape, caramel, sour citrus, and bitter oak flavors. My final set of Armagnac reviews will be a grouping of five Chateau de Laubade vintages, starting with the youngest from 2000 until I reach the oldest from 1979. I believe these were all bottled in 2019, but I’m not positive about that. Assuming that’s correct, this one is around 19 years old. The nose is fresh and citrusy with grape, apple, toffee, and a healthy dose of nutmeg and milk chocolate. The palate is light, sour, and slightly bitter. There are some good flavors, but they’re unfortunately not fully developed. Overall this is above average, but it tastes rather young and significantly underproofed. The mouthfeel is watery and the finish is shorter than most Armagnacs I’ve tasted. I’m guessing that the experience will improve over subsequent reviews as their ages increase. The low 40% ABV may hold them all back from greatness, but we’ll find out soon enough. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for generously providing these samples!