Passover week provides an annual incentive to dig into my teetering pyramid of samples that are not whisky and I’ve been looking forward to starting an exploration of Armagnac, which I’ve been told can provide the elusive funky notes I crave. I don’t get any of them here, but what I do get is something akin to a spectacular aged bourbon, with well rounded notes of chocolate raisins and caramel. The oily mouthfeel is sublime and the oak influence more restrained than you would find in any bourbon of a similar age. This was priced at $125 when it was bottled for one of the online communities I frequent, making a strong argument that there’s never been a better time to broaden my horizons beyond grain spirits. Hail yak indeed.