Darroze Les Grands Assemblage 40 Year

Loved the darker fruit that comes through here, truly a classic

Great with notes of plums, raisins, nuts, raspberries, oak, chocolate, biscuits, and spices. Still like the 1981 la poste the most.

So, a quick Google search informs me that Armagnac is French brandy made using column stills, instead of pot stills traditionally used for regular brandy and cognac. It should take on a lighter alcohol note and allow the oak casks to impart more character and depth than typical, high-strength brandy. If that’s not correct, please feel free to correct and enlighten me with a comment. This isn’t my normal wheelhouse spirit and I’m open to becoming a more learned connoisseur. The color is amazing- deep and dark mahogany and worn leather. It’s very oily and doesn’t really leave any legs behind- just numerous drops of all shapes and sizes. The nose strikes me as different flavors of cola: Coca, Mr Pibb and a hint of Dr Pepper. The grape notes @Generously_Paul spoke at length about also mingle around with lots of sugary, caramel sweetness. Oak notes add a bit of liveliness and bite as it sits. I gotta admit that it smells wonderful. The palate delivers grape soda and Mr Pibb- heavily. It’s so very sweet that any alcohol is hidden. Oak spirals add abrasive bite to it and that saves it from being a total, grape and toffee bomb. Although, I admit I couldn’t tell you how 40 years in the Barrel has shaped the flavor profile or complexity, but this stuff had to be even sweeter going into the cask if it’s still this rich and sweet 4 decades later. The finish is bizarrely short. This is where I expected lingering notes of, well, everything. It’s just not there. A quick hit of super sweet and oak and it’s gone. Nothing sticky, but nothing off-putting either. Overall, it’s cool to try something this old, but I’m afraid it’s not my cup of tea. I’ve had some sweet whisky in my time, but nothing as sweet as this stuff (that I can easily recall). I’m very curious what a bottle of this costs, though. Thanks for the well-aged pour @PBMichiganWolverine. It was cool trying something this old. Cheers.

Doing a second review today to try and make up for my recent absence. This sample came to me by way of @PBMichiganWolverine. For a comprehensive detailing of what Armagnac is, see @dubz480 review and comments. This 40 year old was bottled at 43% ABV and I have no info on whether it is chill filtered or if it has any colorant added, but it is a beautiful red mahogany in the glass. The nose is thick, rich and full. A very dark sweetness, like over cooked caramel. This quickly transitions into a sugary sweetness. One word...GRAPES! Grape jelly, raisins, grape soda, grape Dimetapp (children’s couch syrup), and grape Big League Chew gum. It’s crazy just how much of an artificial grape profile is crammed in here. Some other notes do appear after a while. Blackberries, blueberries, honey, sweet vermouth. Savory caramel, pie crust, very confectionary. Hazelnuts and pecans, slightly salty. The palate is very sugary sweet, but also earthy with some bitterness. Strong grape candy flavors, red wine like a merlot (yes I know merlot grapes are not being used here), vermouth. Grape cough syrup, grape juice, raisins, some faint berries. Overall far too sweet. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is thick, tongue coating and dry. The finish is medium long, sweet and bitter, thick and dry. This reminds me of the second time I tried the Kavalan Vinho Barrique Cask (not the first time, that time was amazing). Just a sugary mess and off putting. This is my first experience with Armagnac so I’m not sure if this is a typical profile or not, but if so I’d rather stick to whisky and spare my teeth the barrage of sugar. Cheers

One of the bottles I opened to share tonight over a Thanksgiving meal with family. I’ve not had many Armagnacs before, maybe 1 or 2. But, either way, you can’t go wrong with something 40 years in cask. The nose on this is amazing. One of the best noses I’ve had in recent memory. I’d almost say it’s almost like the Hibiki 21—Highly fragrant, potpourri of cedar, ripe red apples. The palette is a step down from the nose, unfortunately. It’s good...hell, who am I to complain or nitpick at a 40 yr old? Great bottle to open up with family.