Tasting note

Nose

This is a bit of an outlier in our line-up, here not directly sultanas and currants, but much fresher, we talk about orange blossom and elderflower fields. On second smelling, we also recognise a hint of mocha and some more warm notes. 

Taste

At first we think someone has lit a cigarette, but of course our tasting room is smoke-free. Cigar leaf and pipe tobacco come to spoil the palate first, this continues into mature fruit aromas (orange marmalade) Certainly not sweet to be called, it goes rather to the dry side. The mocha of the aroma returns in the flavour as well.

Finish

In the aftertaste, the mocha turns more into chocolate, of that nice bitter chocolate. The aftertaste is deliciously long.

The distillery

The Domaine de Baraillon is located just outside Lannemaignan in the Bas-Armagnac. The pretty little estate is surrounded by sunflower, maize and wheat fields and, of course, vineyards. Driving past the Domaine, you wouldn't even know that Armagnac is produced here, were it not for a large barrel on the side of the road with their name written on it. 

Claverie's Armagnacs are a combination of two properties: 4 hectares owned by Patriach Paul's sister in Le Freche and 12 hectares around his house. All vineyards are full of the three major grape varieties, Baco, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. Until 2012 they used the Loubere distillery in Labastide d'Armagnac, but in 2012 they bought their own stills in which they now turn their wines into spirits. The fresh eau de vie normally goes into 5,000-litre casks before being transferred to smaller barrels. Both new and old barrels are used for this purpose. The barrels are regularly aerated to promote oxidation. The oldest stocks date back to the late 19th century and it occasionally seems as if time has stood still at Domaine de Baraillon. Tradition and quality are therefore highly valued by the family.  

What others say

On WhiskyFun.com, this Armagnac from Serge Valentin received a whopping 90 points.

Read Serge Valentin's tasting note here.