Armagnac: The Hidden Gem...
Part 1: Why Armagnac?

Part 1: Why Armagnac?

In this very commercialized world, trends and fashion rule. Marketing is so powerful that it determines a lot of what we consume and prices we are willing to pay. Today whisky is all the craze despite having been an “old man’s drink” a little over a decade ago. Brandy now carries that unflattering honour of being grandpa’s drink – totally uncool. Even being the best known brandy, Cognac sales are down and its lesser known cousin Armagnac struggles even more to get noticed.

Here then lies an opportunity as prices are way below whiskies of similar vintages.
Popularity of consumer goods oscillate over time. It was not too long ago in the 1980’s when whisky distilleries were being closed at an alarming rate. Every dog has its day and I’m wondering when brandy will make its comeback. Perhaps the image of some super cool celebrity enjoying a brandy could change things. Hopefully not, as that would mean an escalation of prices from current levels that we now enjoy. We are in an excellent era of being able to snap up some fantastic Armagnacs at great prices. I feel that whisky drinkers will find it relatively easy to transition to Armagnacs. Yes, they are from totally different base crops but their mouthfeels are similar, and often enough the flavours of these aged spirits share a huge overlap as both are influenced by the oak treatment and aging.