1976 Darroze Domaine de Bouillon 40 Year Old Cask Strength Tenareze Armagnac (700ml)

Tasting note: [November 2016 bottling] Pure polished copper. Great viscosity. Superb aromas of dried fig, fruit cake, dates, cinnamon, cigar box, liquorice bullets, hazelnut and cocoa. Four decades in oak makes its presence felt but the wood is sufficiently balanced by a sweet thread of orchard fruits (fig, nectarine, apricot); enlivened with warming spices through the finish. An understated, drier-style. The bouquet is a delight. 41.9% Alc./Vol.

Previous bottling tasted October 2016: Distilled in 1976 and bottled in June 2016. Deep mahogany with gold ochre edges. Fabulous dessert styled aromatics are pure and intense including caramel fudge, sticky date pudding and mocha followed by unexpectedly vibrant, fruity notes of dried apricot / fig / mango; five minutes of air contact draws out fruit toast, cigar box and rancio adding further layers to the bouquet. Delicate and breezy entry has a fruit freshness that belies its age. Mid palate gains momentum with a slow motion tsunami of bitter chocolate, rancio, hazelnut, dried fig and vanilla carried by powdery tannins. After four decades the oak is closing in but never quite overwhelms. Rounds off with a late burst of muscat-like sugars, vying with ultra-fine tannins in an aftertaste that goes on and on. A stunning grandfather brandy that's a relative bargain on the world stage. Superb. 41.5% Alc./Vol. 96 points