Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 90/100

Old folks around those places used to say that Ténarèze was armagnac for proper men, but indeed that was totally stoopid; what they were meaning was that it was a tad more rustic and virile than others. Anyway, it doesn't seem like anyone has ever been canceled down there, as far as I can tell. Yet. Having said that, L'Encantada AND Kirsch sounds a bit like Page AND Clapton to me.

Colour: gold.

Nose: easy, peaches in all their states plus apricots in all their states. And a spoonful of orange blossom honey. Easy. With water: hints of parsley and thyme, plus those easy peaches and apricots, plus touches of turmeric and dried porcini powder. A little more power.

Mouth: (neat): indeed it is rather full-bodied on the palate, spicy, leafy, even a little brutal while the nose would have suggested otherwise. Not so easy, after all. With water: some rusticity, earthiness, mushrooms indeed, a little muscovado, turmeric, ginger, even flints, pine needles, fruit peel…

Finish: long, a tad more drying, with more earth. A little menthol and liquorice wood in the aftertaste.

Comments: exactly a Ténarèze, as I was having them in mind. Delta blues vs. big-city blues. Love it, actually, but you need to factor the fact that it is, well, a Ténarèze.

SGP:561 - 90 points.

Tasting notes by Ruben Luyten WhiskyNotes.be 87/100

Nose: a rummy impression at first. Apples and latte come out first, with a firm woody side and just a light alcoholic sharpness. Hazelnuts and almonds. Bready notes and bell pepper. Then hints of nougat, mint and aniseed, with a light metallic overtone. Much leaner than I expected.

Mouth: again quite punchy with a roughness that I’m not often getting in armagnac. Almonds, pear, hints of herbal extracts. Mineral touches and walnuts. Woody notes and pepper too. Again, this could be mistaken for a rum in a blind tasting.

Finish: medium long, still some wood and herbs, with pepper.

I’m not the biggest armagnac connoisseur but this is quite unusual to me. A dry, slightly mineral and herbal profile instead of the rounder style I’m used to. Interesting and fresh, although it may lack some sexiness.