L'Encantada Domaine Del Cassou 1988

Aroma: Unfermented grape juice, Granny Smith apple, caramel, brown sugar, honey, peach, white pepper, lawn clippings, apricot, chocolate malt, earth, vanilla, orange flower, java, cinnamon, lemon, woody dryness, slight ethanol sting. Palate: Sour grape, butterscotch, citrus peel, lemon, apricot, dried fig, peach, pimento, cinnamon, salted dark chocolate, grapefruit, grass, vanilla, unripe apple, sweet wood, noticeable alcohol warmth, medium-long finish with grape sediment, butterscotch, and bright fruit notes. After trying the L’Encantada XO recently, I felt motivated to write about more Armagnacs I have available from bottles and samples. I picked up this 31 Year 1988 Domaine Del Cassou last year following some favorable comments on L’Encantada as a separate Armagnac provider. I value them specifically, as many of their releases are single barrel, full proof, undiluted, and uncolored. In other words, just how I prefer it. This spirit's scent is vibrant, tangy, full, and aromatic. The grape notes are prominent, certainly, but peach, fig, bright citrus, and honey are present, complemented well by chocolate malt and coffee fragrances. While the taste doesn't match the aroma, it's actually quite pleasant. The citrus and fruits are primary, yet a smooth, woody foundation effectively balances those sharp tones. From what I've seen, Armagnacs tend to taste quite sour unless they are extremely aged. This one is tangy, but it sidesteps the unpleasant sourness I anticipated. All in all, this is a wonderful Armagnac. If it were more decadent, viscous, and a little less vibrant, it would be exceptional. As an additional observation, I'm pleased we can still acquire 30+ year old Armagnacs for about $200 or less sometimes. I suspect that won't continue much longer.

I've been neglectful for months. As the weather warmed, I found myself drawn to cocktails – chilled, over ice, built in the glass, blended. Basically, I've been craving ice. I'm quite sure I'm not anemic (a fun fact is that ice cravings, sometimes called pica and pagophagia, can indicate iron deficiency anemia). Regardless, spirits served neat have been overlooked, and it's high time to show appreciation for those who offer samples. Tonight's pour is an Armagnac, meticulously labeled and shared by a friend. Appearance is golden and moderately viscous. The aroma offers notes of butterscotch, fig, old furniture, light brown tobacco, leather, and some floral hints. There might also be some maple syrup and vanilla present, along with praline, allspice, and unlit charcoal. It's thinner than anticipated, with a burst of cigar wrapper on the tongue, followed by pecan, oak, cedar, and musty grape flavors (quintessential), and then an unexpected touch of blood orange. As a friend pointed out, there's a slight disconnect between the nose and the palate, but both are enjoyable. The blend of earthy and tart notes is intriguing. It deviates from the syrupy sweet, younger 'gnacs I've sampled. It lacks the tannic bite found in their blended XO Lot 3, even though this has as much age as some of the oldest components in that blend. The aspect I keep returning to is how it leaves the tongue tingling, much like drawing on a cigar – warm, but not unpleasantly so, with more tobacco than one should handle in a single session. I hereby declare this bottle to be liquid Cuba.