A5.6 Le mouton, le cerf et le noir bitume (Armagnac)

Description

Armagnac is often described as the whisky drinker’s “malternative”. Single distilled wine, made only in the tiny Armagnac region of France, this A5.6 was made entirely with an Italian white wine varietal, often referred to as Trebbiano, which was distilled back in 1989 and bottled in 2022. Insane value for a 33yo distilled spirit that will blow your mind in complexity.

A glorious aroma, riddled with classic aged Armagnac characteristics in beautiful harmony. Corinthian raisins, hessian, old style rancio, pipe tobacco, apricot jam, and fig chutney. Everything in its place and perfectly balanced. With water we got orange cocktail bitters, aniseed, red liquorice, strawberry wine, and old leather books. The palate was initially surprisingly rich and spicy with dark grained breads, rye spice, wormwood, long aged balsamic and menthol pipe tobaccos. Reduction brought blood orange marmalade, mint jelly, Darjeeling tea, toasted fennel seed and wood spices like cinnamon and clove. A long, lingering and wonderfully complex finish followed on…