Delord Armagnac 1981

Nose - grape must, butterscotch, vanilla, black cherry, plum, apricot, orange zest, fig, cinnamon, nutmeg, strong oak, black pepper, chocolate covered raisins, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - tart grape, black cherry, plum, raisin, dark chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, butterscotch, vanilla, bitter walnut, ginger, black pepper, orange, lemon, tannic oak, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with dark fruits, chocolate, and musty, tannic oak flavors. So how have an extra five years in the barrel impacted this when compared to the 25 Year I reviewed yesterday? The obvious difference is that this is much darker, more brooding on the nose and palate. The bright citrus and fruitiness of its younger counterpart are nowhere to be found. In their stead, dark dried fruits, semisweet chocolate, and strong oak dominate. I’m getting a strong aroma of Raisinettes as well. The palate is similarly less bright and sweet with dank, musty fruit and wood replacing the other’s youthfulness. I like this more than the 25 Year. It’s certainly more my speed with its darker, less sour profile. This doesn’t quite match the quality of the single cask, barrel proof L’Encantada offerings I reviewed, but it’s not significantly worse either. With a slightly higher proof, I could see it almost equaling those for me. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample!

Welcome to another episode of “That’s Not Bourbon!” compliments of a blinded sample from @contemplativefox ;) Rich, red-amber in color. Viscous, appearance in the glass. This seems like a heavy, luxury dram. Velvety. Rum - no. At first I thought I got molasses but it has more ester to it - beyond banana. Armagnac? There is a big wine influence with stewed red and black fruit alongside some nutty rancio, bit of musty oak and tad of leather. Elements of an antique cigar box. My labrador sitting next to me wont stop sniffing the air. What a wonderful blend of funky, musty wood and over-ripe esters. I am pretty sure there is an incredibly faint anise note on the tail end, just enough to keep it interesting. I cannot age this reliably but would be amazed if this spent less than 20 years in French oak. Maybe American? Definitely making this up as I go along daydreaming of cool cellars, dim light and generations of handcraft spirit. Heavy but not overly viscous. Big oak notes with bitter walnuts, pumpkin bread, allspice, clove, nutmeg, cedar, bits of bakers chocolate, pure vanilla, orange rind and light caramel. I feel like slipping into a red velvet robe and instantly growing a beard. Perhaps afterword I would step onto my balcony and gaze off at snow capped mountains while rolling a cigar on the railing. Again, none of this makes sense but it doesn’t really have to. Delord 1981. Hot damn. This has existed roughly as long as I have - a strange feeling indeed. Never mind that. The empty glass eludes notes of leather, musk and caramel. I owe a big thank you to @contemplativefox for sharing this pour and helping me experience what I believe the kids are calling “big mood” (possibly already outdated but it works).

This is a rich drink with a good balance of sweet and bitter. There is a good amount of wood (not too much), some spice (cinnamon) that comes out, cocoa that fades in and out, toffee that dances in the background, and, of course, cherry. The depth here is superb, with subtle characteristics that balance each other with tremendous skill. The overall character is smooth, creamy, and chewy. There's even some rich orange backing it that is reminiscent of Bushmill's 21. All-around, this is a triumph. The balance is superb, the depth astounds, and most of the flavors land with great success. Following something sweet like Symbole National, the wood flavor can come off a but harshly. Compared to something like Jollite VSOP though, the tannins are quite tame and the flavor is excellent. At times one can even find some beautiful woody banana toffee rum notes in here that reminisce Ron Diplomatico. If you wait for the right timing, there is even some good smoke in it. It's good in shop circumstances, perhaps comparable to Highland Park 18. Looking for a high-end brandy? Pick this! Rich, cherry, raisin, chocolate, spice (cinnamon, clove). This is a luxurious drink that balances its flavors wonderfully. The depth and richness are amazing, even though the tannins are a bit much. Toffee, cocoa, raisin, a hint of cream, cloves. This drink has a robust flavor. Compared with Glenfarclas 25, this is fruitier and spicier, but approximately as rich. There is more sweetness and those who hate cherry cough syrup may find offense here. The richness and woodiness of an old spirit are certainly present here and they add a great deal of depth. This is a terrific drink, but it is just shy of Glenfarclas 25 in quality. That said, brandy drinkers of all but the most mild sort will appreciate this. Compared with Glenfarclas 25, this has more of a cola flavor and less depth. It has amore mature flavor than Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Barrel, despite the cola taste, but it also misses some of Glenfiddich 14's complexity. Compared with a bourbon, this is quite sweet. Compared with a standard brandy, it is rich and woody. The flavor is tremendously rich with tons of wood and cherry, but the cherry does not overwhelm. There are some subtle spices in here and the richness is backed by caramel notes. Some spice flit through with cinnamon being overtaken a bit by ginger and clove. Some mild anise is present, adding some bitterness that fits in with the wood, but is a bit strong. The nose is quite aged and enjoyable for that reason. It doesn't have all of the depth of Glenfarclas 25, but it does have some richness and balance that make it an enjoyable brandy to drink, though it may be a bit fruity when following up a bourbon or peaty Scotch. The richness is superb, but I wish it had more complexity. The richness is superb - nobody would doubt this drink's age. It tastes dominantly fruity (red fruit), suggesting that it is a brandy rather than a whiskey. There are some spices hanging out along with some mild burnt caramel, dark chocolate, and hints of coffee. The bitterness is pretty strong, as is expected for a drink of this age. The mild coffee undertone isn't really appealing because of its tartness, but the flavors here are predominantly good. The richness is great and the complexity is solid. It's a great price for a spirit of this age, but there are plenty of better spirits. Woody, fruity, and spicy. There is plenty of vanilla and an appropriate amount of sweetness. It isn't overly sweet, but it is sweet enough. The wood brings in a cocoa powder flavor and the spiciness is largely from pepper. The Delord 25 is markedly sweeter. This is really good with the age providing delightful robustness, but the Delord 25 is probably better value for the money of you aren't afraid of some sweeter brandy. This is rich and woody but also sweet with cherry presence. There's plenty of caramel mixed with toffee and there is tons of vanilla. The flavor is super rich and hedonistic. There is a nice amount of spice and the bitterness has a bit of a digestif complexity to it. This is a decently complex drink that is abundantly rich. The anise showcases the alcohol a bit much but it's not a bad flavor at all. This is a great model of what an Armagnac should be. The digestif notes are more present than they are in the Delord 25, but that isn't necessarily a problem. This is a tremendous success. Wood, cherry, spice, caramel. It could use some more complexity, but its richness is a hedonistic dream. The finish eventually carries a mouth-watering bit of orange. There's a hint of bottle caps (the candy) cola flavor in here too that is surprisingly enjoyable. This richness is amazing at such a low ABV. The nose is rich with savory, earthy notes mixed with caramel and some nice cinnamon and allspice. The palate is rich and quite full of bitter wood that has a dark (maybe 60%) chocolate flavor, some nice mix of dark and brandies cherries (which brings in some sweet caramel), a little bit of alcohol burn, and some rich cinnamon and hint of allspice. There's a hint of something herbal that's a bit like licorice and a little wet wood, but it's nothing too extreme. This is very comparable to Pierre Didonne XO Cognac, though it might not be quite as good and the price is a fair bit cheaper.

Second armagnac is different from the first. Sweet on the nose and a little fire on the tongue. Light, floral, and fruity.

Celery on the nose. Fruity “play dough” flavor profile. Lots of moldy oak on the backend. More complex than the 1998 Laubade, but without the soft mouthfeel.

Subtle, sweet, not overpowering