Armagnac brandy
CoreBas-Armagnac, Ténarèze, Haut-Armagnac
Famous For
1941 (Suffering Bastard)
Gin and brandy walk into a war zone. Ginger beer brings them home.
A. J.
Two ingredients. Applejack meets grapefruit and nothing else is needed.
After Dinner Cocktail
In an era when cocktails had functional names, this one told you exactly when to drink it — and a hundred years later, the advice still holds.
Tasting Notes
Prune, dried fig, baking spice, leather, tobacco, dark chocolate, orange peel, violet, earth, oak tannin. Bas-Armagnac is the finest — more delicate, more floral, deeper complexity. Ténarèze is bolder and more tannic. Blanche Armagnac tastes of fresh grape, white flowers, and pepper — like Cognac without the wood influence. The single distillation means you taste more 'stuff' — more congeners, more character, more rough edges that aging smooths but never fully removes.
Brand Guide
Samalens VS ($22-28)
Darroze, Castarède VSOP ($35-48)
Delord XO, Domaine d'Ognoas ($55-80)
Château de Laubade XO, Darroze vintage ($80-200+). Birth-year bottles from the 1970s-1990s run $100-300 and make unforgettable gifts. The vintage market is Armagnac's superpower — no other spirit does this as well