What to Look for When Buying Armagnac
If you arrived at this article because you simply want to know where you can buy the best Armagnac online without reading anything else, you are in luck. Here are our favorite online stores for buying Armagnac:
Caskers
Caskers is our go-to option for all spirits. They have a huge inventory, good pricing, and excellent service. They offer about 20 different Armagnacs.
Click here to order a bottle
Reserve Bar
This site typically has 5 - 7 Armangnac options. The site is easy to navigate and they do a nice job sourcing their spirits.
Click here to see what they have in stock.
Total Wine & More
Total Wine offers around 15 different bottles of Armagnac. We like that Total Wine offers local store pickups. This is a great choice if you live near one of their stores.
Click here to shop at Total Wine & More
Getting Educated About Armagnac
Shopping for Armagnac can be daunting if you don't know the basics. Let us help you decode the complexities of selecting the perfect bottle! This article is a must-read for any beginner looking to understand what Armagnac is and how to select great bottles. We'll explain what to look for on the label and even how to find the right color. These things matter will allow you to make an informed decision when choosing your Armagnac. Read on – and become an expert yourself!
What is Armagnac?
Can you tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi? Between Nestle and Cadburys? Different brandy producers also have unique flavors. Over many years, companies have created their own brandy recipes that produce distinctive flavors.
Armagnac is one of the oldest brandies in the world, with a history that dates back to the Middle Ages. This distinctive French brandy was crafted from grapes grown in select regions of France and distilled twice to create a unique flavor. The first recorded mention of Armagnac came from an official document in 1461, which solidified it as a respected spirit for over 500 years. Today, Armagnac is produced under strict regulations in designated areas of France. With its centuries-old tradition, complex flavors, and beautiful bottles – Armagnac is truly a special brandy worthy of great respect.
Oddly enough, before the German-inspired rules came into place, you could produce high-quality Armagnac anywhere and name it Armagnac. So, that expensive bottle you are storing from decades ago may have actually been created somewhere outside Armagnac.
Is There More to Making Armagnac Than Just a Name?
Armagnac is a special type of brandy made from wine grapes grown in the Armagnac region of southwest France. Unlike cognac, which is distilled twice, Armagnac is distilled only once, leading to a more intense flavor that expresses the nuances of the soil and climate where it was grown. This single-distillation method also leads to higher levels of complexity and depth than most other brandies.
In addition to this unique distillation process, Armagnacs are aged differently than most brandies. This creates deeper and more subtle flavors. Whereas cognac is aged in new oak barrels (which impart strong flavors quickly), Armagnac is aged in used oak barrels that have already been seasoned by previous vintages. This allows the flavors to develop over time without being overwhelmed by strong woody notes. The aging process also helps concentrate the aromas and flavors so that each sip of Armagnac yields an intensely flavorful experience.
Armagnacs are typically bottled after two years or more in order to ensure quality and consistency, but many producers choose to bottle even older vintages for added complexity and flavor. As such, Armagnacs range from light floral varieties to dark, spicy varieties with complex layers of aromas and flavors that distinguish them from other types of brandy.
When it comes to choosing an Armagnac, it's important to look beyond just its name and consider factors like age, producer reputation, price point, and tasting notes. With all these characteristics taken into consideration, you can be sure to find an Armagnac that will exceed your expectations!
What Do People Expect When They Buy Armagnac?
As mentioned previously, there are now rules that govern what people receive when they buy the drink named Armagnac.
We all know that alcohol comes from some fermentable biomaterial or another. Apples make cider, hops make beer, and grapes make brandy. Armagnac is distilled from wine grapes, and the rule is that the Armagnac must contain at least some grapes of the Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni Blanc varieties. Also, Armagnac is traditionally made in column stills, whereas Cognac is made in pot stills.
How Can Spot Quality Armagnac?
As mentioned earlier, the world is now a more litigious place, which means if you are buying a product with the Armagnac name on it, then the rules state that certain guidelines must be followed.
As mentioned earlier, the Armagnac must have been made in the Armagnac region, and it must have used a mixture of these grapes: Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni Blanc.
It also cannot be made using unconventional production methods such as adding certain chemicals to make the grape must ferment faster or cutting the brandy with pure alcohol rather than distilling the brandy correctly.
In order to keep an eye on how the Armagnac is being made, there are two groups. There is the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA) and the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO)
What is Quality Armagnac...Continued - What’s the Catch?
The problem with Armagnac is that even if a company in the Armagnac region follows all the rules, it can still create a fairly bad batch of Armagnac. It’s just like how a company can follow all the rules on making custard, and still make a pretty lousy custard. Just because an Armagnac producer is following all the rules, it doesn't guarantee that the resulting Armagnac brandy will taste great.
There is also the fact that Armagnac is not a global phenomenon in the same way that Cognac is. The biggest demand for it is in Europe. Cognac is produced by larger companies, whereas Armagnac is mostly made by smaller producers. This again suggests that if you see two bottles of Armagnac on the shelf, one may have been made by a brilliant producer, and the other may have been made by the producer’s neighbor who is not so great at alcohol production.
What is Quality Armagnac...Continued - Looking on the Bright Side
How many people hire a limousine with no place to go? In short, why would a small producer pay the extortionate costs of producing from the Armagnac region, and why would a small producer jump through all the hoops that the BNIA and INAO demand if it is just going to create poor-quality Armagnac? Are there cheap producers? Yes, there are, but producing poor-quality Armagnac is simply not a viable business model for producers who live in the Armagnac region.
You can buy a three-bedroom house in Armagnac, France for what equates to a very reasonable price. But, if you want to buy an Armagnac production company and/or its vineyards, then it is going to cost you a massive amount of money. It costs a massive amount because you have the privilege of attaching the Armagnac name to the brandy you produce.
What is Quality Armagnac...Continued - What About the Store Branded Bottles? They must be of a Lower Quality
Take the example of the store-only Armagnac in the United Kingdom called, “Tesco V.S.O.P. Armagnac.” Tesco is actually the name of the store selling it, just like the Wal-Mart only products you find on shelves. In the UK, Armagnac brandy is slightly cheaper than in places like the USA, probably because Armagnac has less distance to travel from the Armagnac region in France.
Plus, as in the case of the “Tesco V.S.O.P. Armagnac,” it is produced for Tesco and has the name Tesco right on the label. This is the cheapest Armagnac in the whole store, and it is still pretty darn expensive. Yet, aren't the store-only or store-branded products supposed to be of lower quality? After all, isn't that why they are typically less expensive than named brands or specialist producers?
In reality, the answer is “No.” The Tesco “Cheap Stuff” is very high quality, and it is a genuine Armagnac. It comes from distillers in the heart of Armagnac, Gascony in France. The difference is that the small producer has struck a deal with Tesco to keep costs lower. This product also has dried fruits and vanilla tones in order to give it a more distinctive taste, which is allowed as long as all other rules have been followed.
Where Can I Buy Armagnac Online?
Armagnac may not be as popular as Cognac in the USA, but it is still well-known enough to be stocked by many online alcohol retailers. Here are four national companies that stock Armagnac.
However, there should be plenty of options for 21+-year-olds in the USA. For example, grocery stores that offer online ordering and delivery will often be willing to deliver Armagnac. Plus, there are many liquor stores that are offering online ordering and delivery in their attempts to keep up with the larger grocery chains.
How Strong Should The Armagnac Be?
Armagnac is distilled just once, as opposed to Cognac which is distilled twice. This means that the Armagnac comes out at around 50+ proof. As the Armagnac ages, it loses some of its alcoholic content, with the possible exception of those that wrap their barrels in plastic. Since the Armagnac comes out less alcoholic than things such as Whiskey and Cognac, it doesn't usually have water added to the final product.
This does mean that the longer the Armagnac is left in the barrel, the less alcoholic it becomes. However, the flavor becomes more complex and the color becomes darker. This is because the liquid soaks into the wood, which influences the taste and color. Plus, the process of evaporation is believed to create new aromatic compounds that mix in with the Armagnac. The bottles you buy will have around 40% to 48% alcohol by volume.
What is Armagnac going to cost if it is older? Take note that once Armagnac is in its bottle, it stops aging. This means that buying older bottles is not necessary, nor does an older bottle mean a better caliber of Armagnac. However, just like with wine, there are sometimes good years when a small producer produces an excellent batch one year. In these cases, older bottles of Armagnac may be worth paying a little more for. Remember to keep the bottle upright so that the alcohol does not attack the cork.
Conclusion
As stated earlier, there is no real trick to determining what is good or bad Armagnac except to say that if it is real Armagnac, then it will probably be of very high quality. Armagnac is a protected name, which means only certain producers in certain locations can create it, and a producer that creates poor quality Armagnac will quickly go out of business. So much of a producer’s business depends on getting the process right that even new producers will rarely get it wrong. In reality, if your Armagnac tastes a little off, then it is more likely because the drink has been tampered with, such as bar workers who add water, or the Armagnac has been incorrectly stored.
