Delord Armagnac 25 Year

My first Armagnac purchase in an attempt to expand my options beyond whiskey. It very nice. Woody. Fruity. My only criticism would be it’s bottom level proof. But trying to find a cask strength version is proving to be difficult.

Absolutely delicious! Complex and sweet neat.

Spectacular from nose no long, luxurious finish. It contains multitudes: oak, candied fruit, walnut, cinnamon… the list could go on. This a warm and complex spirit, layered harmoniously with flavors and aromas that combine to far greater than their sum as parts. To drink it approaches a religious experience.

Extremely tasty. Definite strong aromas and tastes of grape must and orange, but with solid earthy and woody notes as well as honey. Very smooth and well-balanced - a great after-dinner drink.

Nose - grape must, butterscotch, vanilla, orange zest, date, fig, coffee, cocoa, cherry, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet oak, floral notes, pine, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - tart grape, orange zest, lemon, caramel, vanilla, plum, allspice, clove, sour apple, bitter oak, fig, walnut, cola, cherry, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with tart grape, bright citrus, and sour apple flavors. Shifting gears to a few Delord expressions, and the classic 25 Year is first up. The nose is tart and fruity. It’s not as beautiful as those L’Encantada single casks, but it’s reasonably aromatic. The palate carries the same fruitiness, but unfortunately this crosses into sour, bitter territory. It drinks very young for a 25 year old spirit, probably partly due to the low proof. Overall, this is good, but it’s nothing special. Nonetheless at around $75 a bottle, it’s a solid entry into high quality Armagnac. I think you make significant sacrifices in the palatability department when you go younger and cheaper with Armagnacs, so the 25 Year makes for a good middle ground. This isn’t as good as the L’Encantada XO Lot 3, but it’s close enough to be in the same rating band for me.