L'Encantada XO Armagnac (LOT 3.0)

Scored 19/23 Participated in a blind Armagnac tasting. Nose: Earthy and zesty with a candy-like sweetness that transitions to a bit of fruit, specifically orange and cherry. The wood and spice notes are incredibly intricate and intensely pleasurable, possessing a rich and rather full character. A true joy to smell. Palate: Starts tart, then rich, then very woody, followed by spice, and then tart again. The spice causes a slight burn, but it's not harsh. This is considerably drier than anticipated. It lacks the sweetness and varnish notes found in Delord 25 and offers a more potent flavor. However, there is a hint of varnish present. Upon another taste, the tartness evolves into a blood orange flavor. Faint cherry notes are subtly present within the bitterness. Occasionally, a subtle hint of chocolate emerges. A quite complex palate! And besides being a tad too woody, the flavors are all quite good. That said, the woodiness is indeed bordering on excessive. Since this is Armagnac, the pronounced bitterness is acceptable, but I don't find it entirely delightful. I believe the bitterness might have been slightly overdone here, impacting the other flavors. Nevertheless, this is a rather sippable and enjoyable spirit. Finish: Wood, spice, varnish. Very bitter and quite long-lasting, though not the most intricate. Extremely dry. - Final Thoughts - The nose is the highlight and it is astonishing! The palate is also very good, but the finish is somewhat underwhelming. Despite a slight excess of varnish flavor, I find the Delord 25 (rated 20) to be a bit better crafted with less austerity and more sweetness and fruitiness. I do appreciate the increased fullness here, though. I'm reconsidering my rating for Delord 25, perhaps it deserves a 19 instead of a 20. With that in mind, I'm considering an 18 or 19 for this. I enjoy spicy, woody brandy and this is great, but it's just a bit too much in those aspects for my preference. Revisiting for a final comparison, I prefer the balance of the Delord, but this offering is more complex and lacks that overpowering varnish note. The Delord actually seems young by comparison. I would estimate this to be at least 30 years old. The more I taste this, the more I appreciate its spiciness and detect a hint of brown sugar sweetness from the spice. It stands up well against Delord 25, A De Fussigny XO (rated 18), and Hennessy XO (rated 20). I could see this scoring as high as a 21. It's definitely not below an 18. I'm currently leaning towards a 20 for this, but considering my initial rating of 18 to 19, I'll settle on a 19. A truly fine Armagnac. Thank you for sharing this bottle! I appreciate the maturity and nuance it displays. My only wish is that it were slightly less woody.

This brand is known for finding casks from forgotten or lesser-known distilleries. This bottling comes from five single vintage casks. Labeled as "barrel raw" (no sugar, water, coloring) and cask strength (though still under 90 proof), this blend yielded 1980 bottles. It's unclear when these casks were emptied or how brandy/Armagnac continues to age in a storage tun, but a 21-37 year old elixir will be the oldest spirit I've had the pleasure of tasting. The pour appears very thick. The color is a lovely light copper. The nose... there's a lot going on. Heavy, rich, and sweet. Musty grapes, oranges, pears, strawberry preserves, and milk chocolate are present alongside dusty old book funk and light tannic oak notes. There's an almost nutty/funky Oloroso note too. Bright oranges and heavily tannic on entry with hints of lemon zest, raspberry, and plenty of oak. Not as oily as the appearance in the glass suggests, but still coating. No heat to speak of. Long finish with hints of bright fruit, tannic (just shy of bitter) oak, and notes of blonde espresso and cacao in the far background. Floral and black tea notes also emerge later. Compared to what... my experience is still limited. It strongly reminds me of the nearly metallic cognac characteristics of a certain triple cask finished spirit and has less overall sweetness and tobacco than another brandy. It also has less chocolate than a particular double cask. This just tastes, and is, older, but how it's older, I don't know. I can't imagine this has been aging in a barrel since 1983, but it wouldn't entirely surprise me. I like this very, very much - but I don't love it. Like other extremely aged spirits, the tannic elements are somewhat unbalanced, and I miss the sweetness that, as an American, I frequently encounter. I hold this in high regard, and the price seems fair, but I might not purchase another.

On the nose: concentrated grape juice, butterscotch, coffee, toffee, dulce de leche, vanilla, pineapple rind, white pepper, earthiness, botanicals, strawberry jam, orange peel, cinnamon, allspice, sweet wood, a bit of ethanol sting. On the palate: grape peel, tart apple, lemon zest, ginger, hot pepper, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, allspice, clove, astringent wood, noticeable alcohol warmth, finishing medium-long with grape-citrus, caramel, and spicy chocolate notes. This was the last of my blind selections. A mix-up on my part means it wasn't fully blind, but knowing it's L'Encantada XO Lot 3 doesn't offer much insight since I'm new to reviewing Armagnacs. The grape is obvious upfront in the aroma, nicely balanced by sweet coffee and dulce de leche. There are also intriguing notes of pineapple skin, fruity pepper, and earthy botanicals. The taste is very citrus-forward and not as potent as the aroma, which I've found is typical for Armagnacs. Many of the aromas carry over to the taste. Overall, it's a very good Armagnac, but it leans a little too much toward bright, sour, and bitter flavors on the palate for me to consider it exceptional. My sincere thanks to a friend for providing these nine blind samples for my enjoyment! It was a fantastic experience, and I plan to explore more Armagnacs in upcoming reviews.