Hey, Shane! Glad to hear you liked Darroze Armagnac 🙂 Still a bit crippled by the low ABV though. IMHO Domaine Tariquet Armagnac offers better value. I checked the prices at "the exchange" and Tariquet 8 yo costs almost the same (a few pennies less actually) as Darroze 8 yo, but Tariquet offers all natural presentation: casks strength and colorant free, as stated on the label. AFAIK they don't add sugar or boise (wood chips "tea") either. The 12 yo Tariquet which I absolutely love costs just 6 pounds more. And it is a stunner! I'd take it as a malternative to any of the sherry/wine cask matured (or rather bulldozed), absurdly priced Kavalan whiskies any day of the week! Cheers!
ARARAT Yerevan brandy has strength – 57% alc./vol 🙂 with the price is around 60-70 euro I've tried UBY armagnac 20yo, affordable but not good at all. if you like intense flavour – try Torres 15yo brandy, 1l is around 25-30euro
I love a malternative. You are quite right about the price inflation. It's not all the long ago I used to buy 30 year type Armagnacs for £90 and they were at high abv too. I think if you like this Darroze you might consider the 20 year which does have some of the famous 'rancio' all lovers of old armagnac and cognac desire. The 30 is worth it too. Other than that you just have to keep your eye out for certain limited releases. I just bought a 19 year cask strength cognac from MOM. It's one of their own releases. The WE also has a decent range of armagnac which hits all the right buttons you're looking for – age, value and abv. The thing is you often have to take the plunge with armagnac and buy a producer you have no knowledge about. They're usually very good, sometimes excellent.
I have a Darroze bottled 1973 from Condom (yes it is a place). I have never seen legs that defy gravity like these. Amazing liquid, 48%, absolutely stunning. Costs probably 20% of a single malt with the same vintage.
Ralfy was right about the ABV. When I dilute the spirit myself, it tastes better. Cask strength brandies have too much taste, to much flavor for me. Even at 45-46% I add some water. But when I try 40% cognac it just isn't good. Even those cognacs that cost thousands.
Nice review, Shane I watched it from work at a place I can't have sound, so with subtitles only….I haven't tried the 8 yo yet but the 12 yo & its on my wishlist, I do have the wonderfully delicate 30 yo in my collection, as well as others in their vintages collection, all good, some total stunners & bargains (for instance a 1990-2013 bottled at 48 % I had a few years ago from an old stock of my local "hypermarket de luxe" if i may say…dustying on the shelves at 69 €, mind you….I rated it around 96+/100 if not mistaken & bought 2 before it was too late…For the record Anthony & Nicky had it blind in one of my early live shows…I had the chance to try the 40 & the 50 yo, I still have to record a special Armagnac video, mind you, i have a few bottles (the only one I recorded is a mixed spirits bilingual video featuring a Tariquet Armagnac with a special recipe including a rare grape variety almost unused nowadays, I'm also covering other products from them through a sample set). Dr Pepper, really ??? lol…Besides "Les Grands Assemblages" can be translated as "The Great Blends"; as opposed to the Vintage collection, that are unreduced small batches or single casks…About color, I have to double check my notes from the last show I saw them last year, but if not mistaken they told me they do not add color nor sugar, one of the reasons I love what they do…
Thanks Shane. I enjoy Bas Armagnac regularly. FYI no S in the pronunciation: Ba R-ma-yack 😮 You are quite right the prices here as well have been soaring, sadly. Kindest regards, S.
Armagnac can add color but it’s not common at all once you start spending even a little money. I’m 99% sure Darroze don’t add color to any bottlings since they were among the original indie bottlers who took that stance.
I should also mention the single-column alembic still (nothing like what is used for rum and whisky) does not distill to a high strength. Something like 55% off the still. So it’s not uncommon to find well aged bottles with low, natural ABVs.
I will say that you’re generally rewarded well by spending some money, unlike with OB 18yr Scotch. Tariquet’s CS Folle Blanche series is worth getting.
16 Comments
I think the price of all the malternatives of a certain quality are suffering inflation as well, sometimes even more.
Hey, Shane!
Glad to hear you liked Darroze Armagnac 🙂 Still a bit crippled by the low ABV though. IMHO Domaine Tariquet Armagnac offers better value. I checked the prices at "the exchange" and Tariquet 8 yo costs almost the same (a few pennies less actually) as Darroze 8 yo, but Tariquet offers all natural presentation: casks strength and colorant free, as stated on the label. AFAIK they don't add sugar or boise (wood chips "tea") either. The 12 yo Tariquet which I absolutely love costs just 6 pounds more. And it is a stunner! I'd take it as a malternative to any of the sherry/wine cask matured (or rather bulldozed), absurdly priced Kavalan whiskies any day of the week!
Cheers!
Wishing more whisky reviews in near future. Keep on track with original idea of the channel. Now its going sidetracks. Only my personal oppinion.
Seems a bit pricey for what it is? I don’t buy 43% spirits anymore but excellent review.
ARARAT Yerevan brandy has strength – 57% alc./vol 🙂 with the price is around 60-70 euro
I've tried UBY armagnac 20yo, affordable but not good at all.
if you like intense flavour – try Torres 15yo brandy, 1l is around 25-30euro
I love a malternative. You are quite right about the price inflation. It's not all the long ago I used to buy 30 year type Armagnacs for £90 and they were at high abv too. I think if you like this Darroze you might consider the 20 year which does have some of the famous 'rancio' all lovers of old armagnac and cognac desire. The 30 is worth it too. Other than that you just have to keep your eye out for certain limited releases. I just bought a 19 year cask strength cognac from MOM. It's one of their own releases. The WE also has a decent range of armagnac which hits all the right buttons you're looking for – age, value and abv. The thing is you often have to take the plunge with armagnac and buy a producer you have no knowledge about. They're usually very good, sometimes excellent.
I have a Darroze bottled 1973 from Condom (yes it is a place). I have never seen legs that defy gravity like these. Amazing liquid, 48%, absolutely stunning. Costs probably 20% of a single malt with the same vintage.
Do you think Pernod-Recard will make any big changes to the whisky exchange?
Ralfy was right about the ABV. When I dilute the spirit myself, it tastes better. Cask strength brandies have too much taste, to much flavor for me. Even at 45-46% I add some water. But when I try 40% cognac it just isn't good. Even those cognacs that cost thousands.
Nice review, Shane I watched it from work at a place I can't have sound, so with subtitles only….I haven't tried the 8 yo yet but the 12 yo & its on my wishlist, I do have the wonderfully delicate 30 yo in my collection, as well as others in their vintages collection, all good, some total stunners & bargains (for instance a 1990-2013 bottled at 48 % I had a few years ago from an old stock of my local "hypermarket de luxe" if i may say…dustying on the shelves at 69 €, mind you….I rated it around 96+/100 if not mistaken & bought 2 before it was too late…For the record Anthony & Nicky had it blind in one of my early live shows…I had the chance to try the 40 & the 50 yo, I still have to record a special Armagnac video, mind you, i have a few bottles (the only one I recorded is a mixed spirits bilingual video featuring a Tariquet Armagnac with a special recipe including a rare grape variety almost unused nowadays, I'm also covering other products from them through a sample set). Dr Pepper, really ??? lol…Besides "Les Grands Assemblages" can be translated as "The Great Blends"; as opposed to the Vintage collection, that are unreduced small batches or single casks…About color, I have to double check my notes from the last show I saw them last year, but if not mistaken they told me they do not add color nor sugar, one of the reasons I love what they do…
🥃👍🏻😊
Not a grape stuff lover, I'm happy to leave this to others.
I'll stick to whisky (not wine finished of course).
Slàinte mhath
Thanks Shane. I enjoy Bas Armagnac regularly. FYI no S in the pronunciation: Ba R-ma-yack 😮 You are quite right the prices here as well have been soaring, sadly. Kindest regards, S.
Armagnac can add color but it’s not common at all once you start spending even a little money. I’m 99% sure Darroze don’t add color to any bottlings since they were among the original indie bottlers who took that stance.
I should also mention the single-column alembic still (nothing like what is used for rum and whisky) does not distill to a high strength. Something like 55% off the still. So it’s not uncommon to find well aged bottles with low, natural ABVs.
I will say that you’re generally rewarded well by spending some money, unlike with OB 18yr Scotch. Tariquet’s CS Folle Blanche series is worth getting.
Brilliant review, thank you!
Have you tried any Calvados ?