Ok, admittedly, I’m a little biased on this one, since I did help pick the barrel. BUT, since there were about 20 of us choosing, I was only going to claim 5% responsibility.

Based on the outcome, I would love to claim 100%. This is a damn fine armagnac.

I don’t review armagnac that often, and I really should do it more. Recently, I’ve been drinking more armagnac than bourbon or rye, the former of which I’ve really been tiring.

Armagnac is a fascinating spirit. A kissing cousin of cognac, it carries similar geographical indications (although not the name of its region, which is Gascony). Unlike cognac, which can only be made from three grape varietals, armagnac’s AOC includes a whopping 10 different grapes, giving more variability to a spirit that is already closely tied to - and defined by - where it is made (though in full transparency only 3-4 of those 10 grapes are commonly used).

Armagnac is also one of the oldest potable spirits for which we have records, dating back to 1310, nearly two centuries before our first reference to aqua vitae in 1494. It’s distilled in the colder months, prior to March 31st of each year following the harvest. Distillation is on an alembic still, but the quantities produced are so small and so temporally limited that rather than having a still at each farm or domaine, most distillation each year is done over the course of a few days by a traveling still that goes around the region for this purpose.

*Borrowed with thanks and credit to armagnac.fr.*

Perhaps most fascinating - at least to a geek like me - is that it is a single distillation process (unlike double for most whiskies around the world and triple for many Irish whiskies). The still is a continuous one, and most setups will use a long worm tub condenser. I’ve included the sample setup diagram provided by armagnac.fr, France’s official website and bureau for the spirit.

Armagnac, like most distilled spirits, is agricultural in nature, showcasing the local terroir in everything from its vines to the maturation environment. I’m a firm believer in terroir in spirits, and armagnac in particular gives us a wonderful range to explore. Each domaine has its own style and flavor, just as noticeable as the different Islay distilleries or the various single-farm distillates from Waterford Whiskey in Ireland. Grapes are harvested in the fall (usually October), pressed, and left to naturally ferment. The resulting low-alcohol, high-acidity liquid is perfectly suited for stability before distillation and for making boldly flavored spirits.

For this barrel, we went with domaine Lous Mouracs. Haven’t heard of it? I’m not surprised (and don’t worry - I hadn’t either until I became a Beast Masters member!) It’s a house in the Ténarèze region of southern France, the middle of the three armagnac-producing regions geographically. This region is characterized by clay-limestone soils, and its armagnacs typically take longer to age but result in fuller-bodied, more flavorful final results.

Of the four barrels with which we were presented, this one was the winner by a wide margin (something like 16-3-1-0 in the final tally). Everyone in that room knew it was remarkable - I think only one person didn’t have it as either #1 or #2 on their ranked list.

Leave it to Steven Zeller and Ben Paluba, the Beast Masters themselves, to come up with a perfect name: “Leather Jacket”. Though, if it were an SMWS bottling, I may have gone with a before-and-after approach: “Fruit Leather Jacket”, anyone? This has the light tannins and darkness that fit a leather jacket like a…well, a good leather jacket, in both texture and flavor. That said, there’s no denying the star of this show is the fruitiness, a delightful melange of fresh strawberries, figs, dates, and the big, bold red wine flavors you get from inky-black Spanish tempranillos and Australian shiraz, full-flavored and textured without relying on tannins to do anything but be a staging ground for the flavors to shine.

For a 40-year-old anything to be this fresh and vibrant while still having dark depths and not becoming woody…well, let’s say it’s a damn hard thing to find. This has aroma, texture, flavor, and finish, everything you want from your favorite spirit, be it armagnac or not. Get this one before it’s gone, though be warned: once you taste it, you might be a little sad knowing how very few get to have a bottle from Mouracs, and that this is a true single barrel that won’t be like any other you’ve had.

Beast Masters L’Encantada Domaine Lous Mouracs 1982 40 YO Armagnac: Specs

Classification: Armagnac

Producer: L’Encantada & Domaine Lous Mouracs

Mashbill: Colombard and Ugni Blanc Grapes (Undisclosed Proportion)

Proof: 103.8 (51.9% ABV)

Age: 40 Years Old

Location: Ténarèze

Beast Masters L’Encantada Domaine Lous Mouracs 1982 40 YO Armagnac Price: $232.40

Official Website

Beast Masters L’Encantada Domaine Lous Mouracs 1982 40 YO Armagnac: Tasting Notes

Eye: Extra dark amber maple syrup - nearly mahogany while still clear. Thin rims, teardrops slide down the sides.

Nose: Liquid Twizzlers, the good ones you get around Halloween that are individually wrapped (these are better than regular and I will fight anyone on this). A touch of acetone at the open that dissipates quickly. Fresh strawberries in mid-summer drizzled with aged balsamic. Grape preserves, dates, dark fruits. Proof is mild up the nose. Dark chocolate around 60% opens with air.

Palate: Burst of those grape preserves on toasted wheat bread, polished oak and a lighter-than-expected proof. The front of my tongue is where the heat, chocolate, and red fruit all collide, with inky-black tempranillo wine and other big-bodied reds that are intensely flavorful without being tannic. Mouthfeel has a solid lacquer that coats the entire palate, a fruit leather and real leather textured taste/smell combination. Medium-bodied, goes towards syrupy on the chew. Black licorice enters late.

Finish: The dark and bold red wines take over in a great way, Australian reds adding to the tempranillo red darkness. A pleasant oakiness and that lacquer coating remains on the whole palate on a medium-length finish.

Overall: A bouquet of fruits, big bold red wines, fresh strawberries and dates and every red fruit in between. The lack of tannins allows the flavor and mouthfeel to show through without much astringency. Overall, a delicious armagnac that I want another bottle of ASAP.

Final Rating: 8.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation