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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 14, 2025 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Malternatives: only high-class Armagnacs |
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| Domaine de l’Auzoue (Domaine de l’Auzoue) |
We'll start with a little something new that we've just discovered in... Scotland. And indeed, over there, it had a distinctly Scottish flavour. |
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Domaine de Balous 10 yo 2014/2025 (53.3%, Decadent Drams, Bas-armagnac, selected from Château Garreau, 120 bottles) 
Pure Baco from a sprawling 300ha estate (!) in Aire-sur-l’Adour. That said, we did notice the estate also harbours maize fields, grain cultivation, pig farming and fattened ducks, with vines covering a mere... 4ha. Phew! Colour: pale gold. Nose: opens on moist ashes and menthol, then swiftly veers towards fir buds, camphor and pink grapefruit. A few grape skins and stems in the background serve as a gentle reminder that this is indeed a wine brandy. A trace of vanilla too. All in all, a very rustic nose, which we always enjoy. With water: one could almost believe they’ve washed up on the northeast coast of Scotland, wax candles and all. Grape seed oil. Mouth (neat): a whisper of retsina to begin with, then plenty of youthful vigour, mint tea, a touch of olive liqueur and an increasingly saline profile, veering ever more… Scottish. With water: it quietens down, though only just. You’d almost swear it had seen a Laphroaig cask in a past life, though of course that’s pure fancy. Finish: long, remaining delightfully rustic, this time heading towards pinot noir marc. Comments: given they grow grain on the estate, one might cheekily wonder whether some found its way into the ‘mash’. At any rate, we do rather like this slightly deviant and unpolished wee armagnac, quite a find.
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
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Domaine Cutxan 18 yo 2006/2025 (51.9%, L’Encantada for Armagnac Festival 2025, Bas-armagnac)
They write ‘maturation in progress’, which at 18 years of age rather suggests they’re in it for the long haul. This is Baco again. Colour: amber. Nose: quite different, of course, more classical, rounded without being soft, on poached peaches in Sauternes, acacia honey and then a hefty slab of Scottish fudge. The link with Scotland stops right there. With water: incredible, once again we find mint and camphor rising up, albeit in infinitesimal amounts. The rest remains classical and very pretty. Mouth (neat): to my taste this is fully mature, even if this time there’s a rather amusing agricole rum note, with liquorice, cane juice and very ripe bananas clearly marked. With water: it really does feel like a Gascon/Martinican blend now, I kid you not. And it’s very good. Finish: similar story, soft liquorice taking the lead, then a tiny splash of grapefruit juice. Comments: a striking contrast and, when all is said and done, a comparable level for me.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
After an Armagnac-whisky and an Armagnac-rum, let’s see if we can sniff out something a bit more conventional… |
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Domaine Pouy 25 yo 1998/2024 (58.7%, The Colours of Rum, Up Spirits Club, No2, Ténarèze, cask #93, 120 bottles)
We do love our Ténarèze. Alas, Domaine Pouy has been closed for some fifteen years now. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: I must be dreaming, something’s surely happening in the skies above WF HQ—this time I’m finding a distinct modern Macallan character, I swear. Raisin rolls, prominent but polished oak, discreet sherry, notes of moss, ferns, tobacco… I may need to consult a doctor. With water: in come beeswax, candle drips, orgeat, pollen and a stunning orange marmalade. Mouth (neat): no doubt about it, this is veering full-on towards a glorious… cognac. No kidding! Vineyard peaches, various honeys, very ripe apricots, mirabelles, quinces… With water: perfect. A rather soft and seductive Ténarèze, exquisitely balanced. Finish: not very long but slightly earthier, and what a lovely patch of earth it is. Comments: excellent Macarmagnac, highly civilised, a proper crowd-pleaser.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Domaine de Bellair 23 yo 1998/2025 (59.2%, L’Encantada for Armagnac Festival 2025, Bas-armagnac, cask #78) 
23+1998–2025=–4, so probably 4 years in demijohn. Did you know we held a doctorate in quantum mathematics? No, neither did we… Colour: red amber. Nose: you instantly understand why this spent time in demijohn—there are varnishes à la young bourbon, even touches of acetone, yet also hints of sherry and old Catalan rancio. Notes of aged walnuts too. With water: magnificent woodland floor after the rain. Mouth (neat): oh, how lovely this is. Certainly extreme, admittedly a tad too oaky, slightly solventy as well, but it hits like a battle standard flapping at dawn (what what what?) With water: sheer beauty. Peaches poached in honey or sweet wine, take your pick. Finish: not terribly long but supremely satisfying. Fruity liquorice. Comments: wow, the battle was most definitely won.
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
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Pouchégu 30 yo 1995/2025 (54.8%, Hontambère, Ténarèze, cask #B4, 200 bottles)
Pure ugni blanc here. This baby has just been released, but we know that Pouchégu—another now-defunct estate—produced magnificent things, so it’s almost as if we already knew what to expect in our wee tasting glass. Colour: red amber. Nose: very well integrated, on stewed and preserved yellow fruits and exotic jams, various honeys, with a discreet fir-and-mint combination tucked well into the background. A faint vinous edge, though you can tell two or three drops of H2O will work wonders here. With water: the wood rises up, but it’s beautiful wood. Damp earth, greenhouse air, mosses… Mouth (neat): ultra-expressive, marked by resinous oak and some wine wood, but in this context all of it feels extremely positive, especially as the exotic-cask-meets-mint combo takes over with tremendous grace. That said, you can feel again water’s going to work miracles… With water: and indeed, it does, bringing out that distinctly Ténarèze, very ‘countryside’ character most delightfully. Finish: long, now uniting every facet—earth, resins, honey, exotic fruits… Comments: to be sipped during a feria, right in the middle of a bull run. Just mind yourself…
SGP:661 - 90 points. |
Oh, go on, one more Ténarèze, please… |
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Domaine de l’Auzoue 31 yo 1991/2025 (55.6%, L’Encantada for Armagnac Festival 2025, Ténarèze, cask #16) 
A blend of Baco and Ugni Blanc. This is our first time tasting an armagnac from Domaine de l’Auzoue in Courrensan, which, truth be told, we’d never heard of before. No doubt a small (but sturdy) estate. Colour: deep gold. Nose: old-school, on solvents and peaches, caramel, vanilla and assorted varnishes. A touch of fino sherry. With water: even more towards fino now, with sea water and mustard. I kid you not. Mouth (neat): oh, this is good, with lovely bitterness and varnish layered over white wine and yellow fruits. Feels like a grandfather’s armagnac, but in this case it’s a Gascon grandfather. With water: same impressions, perhaps even veering towards farmy Calvados now. Finish: long, rustic, more herbal. Touches of kirsch. Comments: we’re deep in the countryside now, just add foie gras and some garlic cèpes and you’re all set. Excellent, of course.
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
A final Ténarèze, if you please… |
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Domaine Lous Mouracs 1982/2025 (51.9%, L’Encantada for Liquid Art, Ténarèze, cask #601, 89 bottles)
Another micro-bottling of venerable armagnac, strictly for aesthetes and the polite and well-educated only. People like you and me, right… Colour: dark amber. Nose: a medley of yellow and red fruits, fine oak, deadly hydromel, then dark tobacco and bitter chocolate. Menthol gently blankets the whole, but with poise and restraint. With water: amusingly, it brings to mind those incredible Californian beers like Pliny the Elder, sipped on site in good company, though that was long ago… sob sob… Mouth (neat): oh, this is lovely—powerful, very Ténarèze, robust and utterly unyielding. Marvellous spicy citrus and cherry cream, chestnut honey, pinewood. With water: excellent, more earthy, woodier, with added leather and dark tobacco, but all that makes the whole even more assertive. You see what I mean. But do go easy on the water! Finish: very long, on varnish, tobaccos and candied cherry. Slightly drying. Comments: we’re back on the heights. Did we mention dried apricots?
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
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