The amount of Armagnacs in our sample library keeps getting bigger and bigger and since we didn’t have a proper Yak session for some time, at least not on this blog, that’s what we shall do today. As you are about to see, we will quite a few “firsts” for us, but nevertheless I believe I can say that I am starting to get a solid understanding of Armagnac, i.e. what’s out there, what’s possible, and what we enjoy. Neverthless, there’s still a lot to learn. So let’s also see this as a warm-up for the German Armagnac Festival next month. If you are there, feel free to say “Hi” and have a dram with us! I’d be happy to meet you. But now, let’s start with something slightly unusual, a “Blanche”.

L’Encantada La Blanche Batch #603 (59,8%): We’ve had a bunch of Blanches thanks to Sascha from armagnac.de but I believe that this is our first to be reviewed. Nose: Crisp, clear and totally different from all aged Armagnacs I have ever had. You get this somewhat briney grape note, paired with a hint of pomace, young fruits and muscovado. Palate: Oh, this sets me back to drinking Singani in the jungle of Bolivia. Grapes, olive, brine and a hint of licorice shape the profile. Finish: Medium long with brine, olives and licorice. I am not sure if this is intended for neat consumption or for mixing. Personally, I would say that this is cocktail material. (65/100)

Domaine D’Aurensan Assemblage 30 ans Lot N° 11 (40,2%): Aurensan is another new one on this blog but we’ve had a couple of Aurensans before and absolutely loved it! Bottled in 2020, this is a cuvée consisting of the vintages 1981, 1979, 1974 and 1961. Nose: A subtle sweetness is the first thing I notice. It comes in the form of dark fruits and berries, sour cherries and a highly concentrated fruit vinegar in particular. After a while I also get raisins, banana, walnuts and decidedly rummy notes. This is a spirit that really rewards you if you spend enough time with it, as the change in aromas and interplay of scents is highly complex. Palate: Somewhat earthy, think humid fresh soil with moss, but it managed to maintain this Rum-like character. A hint of toffee, the sour cherries, tobacco, pepper, allspice and pomegranate are just some of my associations. As I’ve already expected during nosing, this is a very fragile product where different nuances come and go. Finish: Medium long and astringent, with oak, moss, pepper and rich sugary notes. Great stuff, my major complaint is that it feels a little bit watery at times, even though this is full proof. (88/100)

Baron Gaston Legrand 1996 24YO (40%): Baron Gaston Legrand is under the head of Lheraud, who we did get to know during this year’s Pro Wein, once again thanks to Sascha. I am not going to take the full detour here but the Cognacs Lheraud was offering were some of the best spirit I have ever tasted! We’ve also had one Legrand, which was pretty good as well. Nose: More acidic and sour than I thought. Vinegar is a key component here, but after a while I also find mushrooms, soy sauce and heck, no I just cannot let go of the though of garlic and ginger, even though it probably isn’t in there. Anyway, it is very muted, which I am willing to attribute to the dilution. Palate: Still very watery. Compared to the Aurensan, you can tell that is has lost a lot more flavour, at least that is my perception. I’d go as far as saying that this really isn’t very interesting anymore. Finish: Let’s just skip it. Today’s lineup is way too exiting to lose more time here. Sorry folks, sorry Lheraud – we will get back to you, I promise! (72/100)

What would these sessions be without our buddies from Grape of the Art? After all, they are the reason why we and many other Rum lovers I know even bother about Yak…

Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 27YO (53,4%): Of course, another new domaine for us: Nose: This fella takes some time to open up I think. Eventually we get a mix of candied and dried fruits (think berries, mango, oranges etc.), apricot jam, some orgeat I guess, vanilla and toasted oak and sugary notes. What a sweet and lovely fella this is after all, just make sure to give him some time. With this one I am curious if you will find any new notes with more oxidation, i.e. as you finish the bottle. Palate: Sharper than the nose suggested but I definitely endorse the intensity. Call me crazy but it somehow has a Tiki-esque connection to it. That is, I get vibes of the famous grapefruit and cinnamon combination but also the Mai Tai formula with oranges and almond. I wonder if this indeed does resemble an Armagnac Mai Tai (we will try that out!). Towards the finish we get more spices and oaky notes, most notably nutmeg. Finish: Medium long with spices, orange bitters and Angostura. We’ve never had this or any other product from Castarède but we feel home right away (90/100)

Grape of the Art Hontambère 1985 36YO (50,5%): Hontambère!? I have never heard of this place. Nose: You can tell that this one has been chosen by Rum nerds. Cocoa, sour cherries, different spices (especially cloves and cinnamon), a certain note somewhere between apple, pear and quince, as much oak as you’d probably expect and deeper in the glass now also unripe grapes. This is an incredibly harmonious mix that just does it for me. Palate: The nose already indicated that this contains a few sour elements but the palate is much more sour than I thought it would be. Apples, citrus fruits, sour cherries, some raw pineapple perhaps and after a while also cocoa, coffee and the mix of spices (now rather vanilla instead of cloves). The wood also added quite a few bitter notes and created a pronounced astringency. With the third sip I also get plum wine, sorghum and leather. Finish: Long and bitter with wood, licorice, prunes and lots of cocoa. So Hontambère. Kudos to Grape of the Art for discovering this gem! (91/100)

That was great, as expected. You know what’s often times great as well? Darroze!

Darroze Domaine La Gardenne 1983 38YO (50%): The domaine grows mostly Baco, but also Colombard (20%) and Ugni Blanc. Distillation is up to 55% so there cannot be much dilution, if any. Nose: Raisins, sulphur, your typical Christmas spice mix, clearly the grapes, cherry, chocolate and wild honey. Not bad, but I already feel like the palate can tell a totally different story. Palate: Not necessarily. Well, I didn’t expect the Yak to be this woody and bitter, neither did we expect it to be so heavy on the spices, but nevertheless, it kinda follows the pattern of the nose. (Burnt) wood, cocoa, coffee, honey, cinnamon, roasting aromas, Rancio and shoe polish are my main associations. It’s actually quite good, but something I don’t want to drink often. Finish: Long with wood, the roasting aromas, peanuts and lots of spices. Here and there some orange peel and plum juice perhaps. A really interesting, just not amazing one. (86/100)

Darroze Château de Gaube 1966 55YO (43,5%): Nose: A low abv such as this doesn’t mean **** with Yak, this is super intense. I am smelling a dry, hot summer night, with fresh grass, floral notes, warm ash as our little fire is starting to go out and ripe fruits (peach, apricot) on the table. While this Gaube is rather dark in colour, it’s profile is that of a light and fruity Armagnac. Quite good! Palate: We continue along the lines of the nose, but have a few different fruits in the mix as well. Dark cherries and/ or bramble berries, a good amount of wood (and by good I mean the right amount), ultra ripe and tasty grapes, ferrum, a certain astringency that’s very nice and then those light stone fruits again. Oh yes, this is very good stuff. We forgot to mention that the texture is totally smooth and creamy as well, while being this full and intense. Finish: Relatively short actually, which comes as a real surprise. Cherries, vanilla, wood and sweet pastry. A small let-down with this otherwise magnificent Yak. Nicely done, Darroze and Gaube. (90/100)

I feel like we should end things at this point, but there’s another pair that I really want to try right now. Alas, the finale.

Baron de Lustrac 1949 50YO (40%): Nose: We start with dark chocolate, peaches, almonds, quince and pears as well as wood, spices and oregano. Later sweet potatoes, pepper, oranges (both, juice and peel) and even coffee. Quite nice. Palate: Just as nice, I’d say. Oranges, spices, that note between dark chocolate and coffee, almonds paste, a certain sweetness, oak, quite a few herbal notes such as oregano or thyme and a mix of dried fruits. Really an incredibly lovely profile, just a little thin. The astringency kinda makes up for it though. It is definitely right up my alley. Finish: Ultra long with that nice bitterness/ astringency again. Flavourwise, we get oak, chocolate and a mix of the spices and herbs. While it seemingly lasts forever, you do want to take another sip very quickly nevertheless. Even just two or three extra percentage points of abv could have made a huge difference here I think, however. Still, this is an amazing bottling. (90/100)

Baron de Lustrac 1933 65YO (40%): Nose: Slightly drier, more woody and settled than the 1949 but that was to be expected. Due to the low abv, it isn’t extremely intense but this easy-going mentality also has something to it. I get walnuts, chestnut, mocha, a moist forest, an old stone wall, something close to marzipan, chocolate, raisins and more nuts. Then all of a sudden vanilla pudding. It did need some time, but oh boy, it is good! Palate: Slightly bitter and slightly thin but still very tasty. Oak, walnuts, almonds, moss, honey and thyme are my main associations but we can also find cocoa and other related roasting aromas. Maybe also a whiff of plums and cookie dough. Finish: Not as long and astringent as the 1949. Here we get wood, ginger, campher and thyme. While it is a bit different from the 1949, the general character is more or less the same. That said, it is just as good and while I like a few things a bit more with this one, that’s not sufficient enough to get a higher score. (90/100)