“Consuming Armagnac helps prevent blood clots.” *
How to enjoy Armagnac
It is important to remember that when one first tastes Armagnac, the heat of the alcohol can be strong on the nose and briefly anaesthetizes the taste buds and masks the flavour. At this stage oxygen is Armagnac's best friend, so it is important to allow your Armagnac to breath. Sipping it slowly greatly enhances the experience. Relax and enjoy, a good Armagnac will conjure up all the wonderful qualities of Gascony — its people, its traditions, and its legends.
The first impression of an Armagnac is its colour. Look for a beautiful golden amber colour that is pleasing to the eye. Note also the clarity and intensity of the colour.
Armagnac is intensely aromatic, a fact most people find one of its most pleasing characteristics. But don't stick your nose right in the glass and inhale deeply as you will singe your nose with the powerful alcohol esters. It is far better to hold the glass for a bit and let the fragrances waft out and you will discover that the aromas are as diverse as they are intense Some of the most common aromas are fruit (ripe, dried and preserved orange, prune, quince, apricot, apple, pear), spices (vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, mint, pepper), toasted (coffee, coconut, tobacco, leather), almond and hazelnuts, wood (oak, cedar, hickory), herbal (fern, mint, jasmine, tea) and floral (dried flowers).
Swirling the Armagnac lightly in the glass to aerate it will emphasize the aromas but one should never artificially heat Armagnac. While it is a pleasant ritual to warm the glass with one's hand, remember that heating the Armagnac increases the release of alcohol and often causes the alcohol aromas to surface before those of the fruit.
Tasting an Armagnac is a very personal experience with several different aspects. Sip it delicately, particularly at first, as the alcohol may be a little strong initially. The second tasting is much more flavourful. The remarkable amount of fruit a good Armagnac possesses is truly magical.
Armagnacs also differ in intensity, but all fine Armagnacs exhibit a remarkable richness and complexity. And the best Armagnacs reflect a balance and finesse, a complex equilibrium between the fruit, alcohol and tannin.
Finally, there is the finish, which is to many one of the most enjoyable parts of the Armagnac experience. Good Armagnacs have a lengthy finish. The finish begins after you have swallowed the Armagnac and it tells you much about the purity of the Armagnac, its concentration and balance. It is one's final impression of the Armagnac and ideally leaves the taster with a pleasant reminder of all that has gone before.
What glassware is best for Armagnac?
The brandy snifter is the most common glassware used for Armagnac. However, more recently the advantages of using a tulip shaped glass have been recognized. Ideally, whatever glass is used, it should not be too large and should taper in at the top to concentrate the aromas.
How should Armagnac be stored?
Unlike wine, once Armagnac enters the bottle it stops evolving and may be stored indefinitely. Thus, no matter how long you wait to open that special bottle of Armagnac, the liquid in the bottle will not change. However, because alcohol attacks the cork, Armagnac should always be stored in an upright position.
How to read Armagnac labels?
Armagnac labels are generally very similar to wine labels, but there are a few differences. The most notable difference is typically the age statement on the label. According to the governing rules for Armagnac a "V.S." has been aged for a minimum of two years, a "V.S.O.P.," "VO," "Reserve," or "Reserve Speciale" for at least five years and a "Napoleon," "X.O.," "Vielle Reserve" or "Extra" six years. An "Hors d'age Armagnac" has spent at least 10 years in the cask.
To avoid confusing nomenclature, some Armagnacs are now labeled to indicate the youngest spirit in the bottle. Thus, if a bottle is age labeled "10" or "20" years, one is guaranteed that the youngest spirit in the bottle was aged in oak for no less than the number of years indicated. Vintage labeled Armagnacs identifying a specific year must contain spirit made from grapes harvested exclusively during the year indicated on the label. To be labeled "Bas-Armagnac," the bottle must contain only spirit made from grapes grown and distilled in the Bas—Armagnac region. A bottle labeled "Armagnac" can contain grapes grown or distilled in any of the three Armagnac regions.
Armagnacs Preferred in France
Due to its lack of comparable access to the international markets, Armagnac historically has been consumed primarily in France and that pattern continues to this day. For example, it is reported that while one bottle of Armagnac is sold in France for every three bottles of Cognac, in the United States the ratio is approximately one to 225. To this day Armagnac remains a craft industry with small, artisanal producers using historic production methods and little or no advertising or international marketing.
As a result it is often said that “Armagnac is not the best known but it is known by the best.”
In terms of taste, Armagnac is typically richer and fuller bodied and shows more primary fruit. It is dominated by dried fruit flavors (orange, plum, quince and apricot), with hints of vanilla, leather, almonds, and hickory, while Cognac's fruit is lighter and more floral. The interaction of Armagnac with the oak barrels typically produces flavors emphasizing vanilla, caramel, toffee, bourbon and pepper; in Cognac it more commonly produces spice and herbal notes. Armagnac is normally more aromatic with smoky and earthy overtones whereas cognac's aromas are more muted due to the dilution from adding water.
And while the better Armagnacs emphasize the differences between vineyards and vintages, the large Cognac houses typically blend spirits from a variety of sources to achieve a consistent product from year to year.
Armagnac Health Paradox
While much mystery remains regarding the early history of Armagnac, it is clear that it was developed for medicinal purposes. A treatise dated in 1441 describes more than 30 medicinal uses of Armagnac and another early treatise recognized Armagnac as "an elixir of life." In recent years there has been increasing attention to the so—called "French Paradox," referring to the fact that although the French consume far more saturated animal fat than Americans do, they experience much lower rates of coronary heart disease than Americans. Numerous worldwide studies have documented the fact that moderate drinkers of alcoholic beverages, particularly red wine, have a lower incidence of a variety of diseases than nondrinkers. What is less well known is the fact that the area in Southwestern France where Armagnac consumption is the greatest has a coronary mortality rate that is much lower that the rest of France and a recent study by *Professor Nicholas Moore, a researcher at the University of Bordeaux, documented that consuming Armagnac helped prevent blood clots.