The Distillery prides itself in preserving the unique character of the Armagnacs, keeping the flavours just like their first bottle. The house of Delord was established in 1893, so this 1993 vintage was produced in its centenary year! Cognac on the coast near Bordeaux looked to Britain, Holland and the wider world, and became a global industry, whereas inland Armagnac would have been relatively inaccessible until the coming of the railways in the 19th century.

A three-star, or VS, Armagnac is a mix of several Armagnacs that have seen at least one year of ageing in wood. Clés Des Ducs VSOP Vieil Armagnac is a blend of Armagnacs that have been left to age for a minimum of four years in new light oak casks. This is now the standard for the region though one of the biggest producers, Janneau, is unusual in using Cognac-style pot stills and double-distillation to make a smoother, more elegant spirit. This right here is a long-aged expression from the Janneua Armagnac house, which was distilled all the way back in 1947!The Armagnac is first aged in new oak barrels for the first half of the maturation process and then aged in older, more mature casks in this double maturation process. Armagnac is rich in flavour and, depending on age, will usually have notes of caramel, cocoa, prunes, nuts, vanilla, oak and cinnamon. Clés des Ducs have been making their popular Armagnac since 1774 in Panjas, within the Bas-Armagnac region. Janneau VSOP is made by blending Bacca, Ugni Blanc, and Folle Blanche Armagnacs distilled by houses in the surrounding areas. Since alcohol evaporates faster than water, the alcohol degree is naturally reduced by an average of 0.

The French gourmet dish ortolan has traditionally been prepared by force-feeding an ortolan bunting before drowning it in Armagnac and roasting it.They’re one of the only producers to use both an Armagnacais column still and a Charentais pot still in their distillation process, resulting in an incredibly smooth and sophisticated brandy. Unlike the Coffey and Stein stills that were being developed in Ireland and Scotland a little later, the alambic Armagnacais produces a low strength alcohol of between 50-70% ABV which is packed full of congeners. Having access to their own distillery gives Janneau complete control over the quality and personality of their Armagnac. Prosper Delord, a cellar master and distiller, roamed the Armagnac region as a travelling distiller, creating Armagnac French brandy from white wine.

We're also full of less relevant but just as useful facts, just like this one: Dolly the Sheep was born in 1996, too. The official production area is divided into three districts that lie in the departements of Gers, Landes, and Lot-et-Garonne. From the wonderful Château de Lacquy comes a VSOP Bas Armagnac, which has seen seven years of ageing. Traditionally, Armagnac was aged in local oak though nowadays barrels might come from further north in France. Older and better Armagnacs are often sold as vintages, with the bottles containing Armagnac from a single year, the year being noted on the bottle, aged for a minimum of 10 years.clarification needed] Long aging in oak barrels softens the taste and causes the development of more complex flavours and a brown colour. Clés Des Ducs,or “The Keys of the Dukes,” is nestled in the heart of the Gers valley in the small village of Panjas, France.