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Brandy Banter

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By @paddockjudge @paddockjudge on 1st Feb 2021, show post

Replies: page 2/5

@Timp
Timp replied

@ajjarrett. Nice purchases they look lovely. Really like their colour, very tempting. smiley

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC replied

@Timp - you've probably got more experience than myself to be fair but I really enjoy the whole of the Cornish Orchards range. The Farmhouse one is probably my favourite: I find a lot of cider too sweet but the ciders I've had from Cornwall all seem to have a slight chalky, mineral note to them that I love. Not unlike ciders from Brittany, France, which I also adore. Odd bins used to do one in a litre bottle form there that was divine but, alas, they seem to have disappeared ...

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@Timp

The colour is amazing. I am not sure I would splash out this kind of money just to enjoy the hue of the liquid, so I am glad I have been enjoying the taste of it too. True, I have not opened the Domaine de Martin 1992 Vintage yet, but I suspect I won't be disappointed.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Timp
Timp replied

@RianC Interesting, will check them out. Love the Brittany ciders too so intrigued. Good steer, cheers.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Timp
Timp replied

@ajjarrett glad it tastes as good as it looks. Always good when that’s the case. Sounds like you will enjoy them.

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@Timp Okay, I must admit I got a bit of armagnac envy. Seeing what my friend Joe had access to, along with my inherit sense of curiosity I just had to dive in. And when I send the same photo to another friend of mine, who also lives in Taiwan, his response was "You’re really getting into the armagnac!". Temptation isn't such a bad thing....at least for now it isn't.

Wait! Where did my gas money go?!

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@Timp
Timp replied

@ajjarrett haha, brilliant!

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

Well, the third of four purchases arrived today. All I can say is, you know your life has gone in a 'strange' direction when you get as excited when you receive KN95 and N95 masks in the mail, as you do a bottle Armagnac.

Bas Armagnac Laubade, vintage 2000 (Distilled in 2002), while the label on the back of the bottle states, " This Laubade vintage was selected by seeking out the best oak barrels residing in the elite cellars of Armagnac. The Brandy was then blended and bottled by our Cellar Master in: Sept. 2021 - M 3809." This botte is 40%abv.

Why did I buy this bottle? Well, I moved to China in 2002 to teach English, I returned home in 2016. It will be exactly twenty years, this Summer, when I decided to take on that adventure, so 2002 has a special meaning for me. So, I didn't buy this based on a recommendation nor the reputation of Laubade, it was a way for me to mark a special moment in my life in this way. If you asked me, "Do you miss it?" My response is, "I wouldn't have bought this bottle, if didn't." Okay, that is a bit of a cheeky response, but one I think many of you will appreciate.

2 years ago 6Who liked this?

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@YakLord
YakLord replied

@ajjarrett I've got a 1999 Laubade that's earmarked for a future wedding anniversary celebration (along with a 1999 de Montal).

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@YakLord

Ah, I am glad I am not the only one buying something that has a connection to our past. However, I must admit, I am not sure about an anniversary. I do not believe in marriage. You see, I am against divorce. I simply don't agree with it. And as everyone knows, the number cause of divorce, is marriage.

Setting my bit of nonsense aside. Is the box and label the same for the 1999 Vintage? Also, is it also 40% abv? I am sure Laubade has higher proof armagnac out there, but I am not sure if I will spend too much time looking for it.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@YakLord
YakLord replied

@ajjarrett I'll check the box and label tomorrow and get back to you on that.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@YakLord

Thank you.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@YakLord
YakLord replied

@ajjarrett So I checked the box and bottle (still having issues uploading photos). Bottled at 40% ABV. Both the bottle and wooden box are pretty much identical to yours except they both have 1999 on them (back of the bottle indicates the bottling date, which in my case is July 2018), which makes me wonder how you ended up with a box that says 2000, and a bottle that says 2002...

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@YakLord Typo on my part. I should have written, 2002 vintage. Oops. The label is 2002, which does correspond with the box. Sorry about that.

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge replied

@ajjarrett, love that emoji...ease up a bit, you're going to get a sore hand wink

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@paddockjudge

You're right. I think I will have to ease my pain with a few drinks this evening. Thanks for your concern.

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

Greetings to you all. My fourth of four purchases arrived yesterday. I am quite excited about this one. As I mentioned earlier the 2002 vintage Laubade is in 'honor' of the year I moved to China to teach English. The 1975 vintage Darroze is for the year I was born and adopted. What really amazed me was its age. The website I purchase the Darroze from does not state the age on the vintage bottlings, and I decided not to email and ask. 46 years in a barrel. Amazing! And for being 46yo, 48%abv is quite good.

The 12yo Darroze is a blend of armagnacs, and unfortunately, I lost or never received an information card with it, so I will have to do some research to see which domaines (estates) make up the armagnac in the bottle. Also, it is 43% abv. Some might wonder why would I buy a 12yo blend with an abv of only 43%, especially, when I have been buying vintage single domaine expressions that are in the upper 40s and even 50% abv. I don't want to deny myself a good dram, even if it is young and low abv. Plus, drinking younger and lower abv armagnacs is (I think) a necessary step in appreciation. I never forget the 12yo Glenlivet that got me into whisk(e)y.

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

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@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

I thought since the bottles of vintage 2000 and 1992 came with informational cards, I thought I would upload the photos, first the 2000, followed by the 1992 card. It is quite fascinating to see the amount of information provided, which I believed is mentioned in one of Ralfy's videos when he did a review of the Darroze 40yo.

Darroze 2000 Domaine de Poutëou

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

Darroze 1992 Domaine de Martin

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

Another quick update for the Brandy Banter. Although this post does include a mention of a purchas, I don't think I will need to post it on the "Which Bottle did you buy and why?" thread.

As I mentioned earlier, I had purchased a bottle of Darroze 1975 vintage, 48% abv, and seen on the label aged 46 years. Well, I just purchased a second bottle and luckily, with an exchange of a few emails I made sure the distributor provided the informational card. The first bottle, I either lost it (such as throwing it out with the box) or the card never was sent along with the bottle. So below, you will see the information card for the 1975 vintage Darroze Domaine de La Poste.

For those who are reading this, you will notice a significant difference between the cards for the 1992 and 2000 vintages compared with the 1975 vintage, and that is the grape variety. The 1975 vintage is exclusively Ugni Blanc, while the other two are a combination of Baco, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and folly blanc.

2 years ago 1Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

Similar to the 12yo Les Grande Assemblages, the 30yo is also bottled at 43% ABV.

I haven't opened it up yet, but I am not to worried (at the moment) with the low ABV. So, for those thinking of buying Darroze Armagnac the "Unique Collection" is bottled at high strength, and likely it is 'cask strength', while the Les Grande Assemblages seem to be bottled at 43%. A short reminder, but I am sure this is simply redundant and repetitive, the Unique Collection is armagnac from one particular estate/domaine and is marked with a vintage year and an age, while the Les Grand Assemblages is a blend of armagnac from a variety of estates/domaines and stated with an age.

So, here is a recent purchased, which arrived this past Sunday. There is a bottle not in the photo, which is another Vintage 1975 Domaine de La Post. Why? Well,...that should be for another thread. HA. Just kidding. Why did I get a second bottle before opening the first? I just assumed I will like it. Also, I am planning to open one on my birthday this year, since 1975 (as I mentioned before, is my birth year). Go Rabbits! So I decided, based on FORO (fear of running out) I should buy another one, for a much later date.

It isn't that dark. I shouldn't have out the black box behind it. HA!

2 years ago 5Who liked this?

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@Victor
Victor replied

@ajjarrett have you tried any experiments yet adding a little Armagnac to Nadurra 16? Maybe it results in nothing special, but maybe it results in something special.

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@Victor

At this time I haven’t thought about mixing Armagnac with anything, well, except adding a little water to the ones with higher ABV. Once I gain a higher appreciation for Armagnac I might creative enough to do as you suggested. Plus, it will give me a reason, as if I needed one, to open a bottle of 16yo Nadurra. I suspect I will get some ginger beer or soda water with the bottle of 12yo Marie Duffau. I am sure an Armagnac shandy or highball will be a fun drink.

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor replied

@ajjarrett I'd probably try some experiments myself if I owned a bottle of 16 Nadurra...and my one bottle of Armagnac were opened. Really any brandy could be used as an accent for any malty malt. I may try plum brandy in the future, maybe with Auchentoshan Valinch or Hazelburn, or any one of a number of other malty malts, or Irish whiskeys.

I'm fascinated that this brandy banter has been as popular as it is. Two of my closest Connosr friends who haven't been active for a few years were Cognac guys first and whiski guys a distant second: @numen, and @CognacFan (natch). And of course, also, my close friend the Paddockjudge, who remains quite active, is a dyed in the wool brandy lover.

Nowadays if I want a brandy fix I typically get it at my sister's house. She stocks a lot more of them than I do, especially various ones from Germain Robin, a California producer. She's really a wine, gin, brandy, and cocktails girl at heart. That's what she drinks at home. Her very large whiski collection is almost exclusively for entertaining groups at tastings. She doesn't tap the whiskis much except for some rye whiskey she puts into cocktails with some frequency. It is so great for me--up until now I have been able to anticipate that what was there at her house the last time I was there will be there for me to drink the next time I visit.

2 years ago 5Who liked this?

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

@Victor If I had 3 dozen bottles of Nadurra 16 or Auchentoshan Valinch I might be tempted to experiment as you suggest. But with a paucity of supply of either, and given they are so good on their own, I don't think I could do it. You are a braver man than I am.

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

@RianC
RianC replied

@ajjarrett - nice! I picked one of these up over xmas. Serge on Whisky fun rated it very highly and 43% is a good abv for the UK market.

2 years ago 3Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@Victor

I will definitely consider what you are saying, and no, I am not just saying that in a dismissive manner. I will have to say though, that I usually do not take what I consider as 'quality' and do much mixing with it. haha. I guess for the lack of better words when it comes to the drinks I really enjoy, I am a 'purist'. In other words, a little water and time is all I mix in with them.

You wrote, "I'm fascinated that this brandy banter has been as popular as it is. Two of my closest Connosr friends who haven't been active for a few years were Cognac guys first and whiski guys a distant second: @numen, and @CognacFan (natch). And of course, also, my close friend the Paddockjudge, who remains quite active, is a dyed in the wool brandy lover."

I must admit, as I mentioned in other posts, if it weren't for two friends of mine, I wouldn't venture into armagnac at all. I am glad there is a thread for this topic because I am enjoying the drinks and it is nice to read what others think or experienced.

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@ajjarrett I don't have anything to add to this thread, I'm following it primarily for the education I'm getting. I hope you and @paddockjudge and a few others keep it going.

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

@ajjarrett
ajjarrett replied

@BlueNote

No problem about not having anything to add to the thread. The easy solution for that is getting yourself a bottle. Or you could do what I do, and get yourself several bottles. My first purchase Marie Duffau 12yo wasn't the best choice, but it wasn't bad. Actually, when my friend Joe spoke highly about the armagnac he has tried, I insired to give up. Then, I got lucky. I gambled with buying before trying the Darroze Vintage (Millésime) 2000.

Although I don't watch Ralfy's videos as much as I used to (many years ago) I do agree with one thing he has encouraged, which is to have an malternative. For me, I am discovering that armagnac is such a drink. This new adventure isn't easy with COVID (meaing not wanting to go out and trying it somewhere), thus has elevated the risk of buying something I will not enjoy and splashing out a bt of money for it. I will do what I can to keep this thread going since it is a new adventure I have taken on.

2 years ago 4Who liked this?

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge replied

@ajjarrett, I have not yet opened the Cognac Daniel Bouju, It will eventually be opened and shared with friends and family. That particular bottle is not vintage. The vintage bottles in my cabinet are marked for specific anniversaries, milestones, etc.

2 years ago 2Who liked this?

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@ajjarrettt@OdysseusUnbound@fiddich1980@RianC + 3 others