Am I Drinking Armagnac or Whisky?
Your first instinct may be to scoff at this question. However, not just novices would find it challenging to differentiate between a good, aged Armagnac and a sip of unpeated Scotch whisky in a blind tasting.
The single distillation and the cask maturation make for a complex, oaky spirit with lots of character. A much-discussed article published by VinePair describes how “whisky-like Armagnac” is becoming more and more popular among bourbon and whisky lovers.
The age statement for Armagnac also accounts for the youngest EdV in the mixture. While there are a few minor differences from Cognac’s age abbreviations rules, Any reference to a specific age, such as 12 or 30 YO, refers to the youngest spirit in the blend. Consequently, if your Armagnac specifies 25 years old, the youngest will also be 25.
Cognac is also occasionally (but not always) bottled with an age statement. When an age statement is present on a bottle, it refers to the blend’s youngest eau de vie. Usually, it is packaged as VS, VSOP, Naploeon, and XO (with minimum legal drinking ages of 2, 4, 6, and 10 respectively). Rarely, if ever, is it vintage dated, though it can be. The BNIC seals the aged spirit with wax to accomplish this. It is rarely (but can be) bottled at cask strength. French oak barrels, both used and new, are typically used for aging, but at high ages (around 40 years), the liquid is transferred into glass demi johns to preserve the liquid’s quality.
Cognac that has been vintage-dated must originate from that vintage and be sealed by the BNIC until it is bottled (this is much more uncommon). In light of the aforementioned example, if a cognac is labeled as 1989 vintage and has a bottling date of 2017, it was indeed harvested in 1989, distilled in late 1989 or early 1990, and aged in cask before being bottled in 2017.
It is also true that producers of Cognac and Armagnac can put an old cask into a glass demi john, and that this additional resting in glass has no additional effect on the spirit’s evolution. Understanding the age becomes a little more challenging as a result, as the bottling date will be the date of bottling rather than the date of transfer to the demi john. However, I believe most quality producers only do this when the cask is fully developed or risks dropping below the required 40% abv, and the casks will thus be very old So, generally speaking, I believe that one can safely assume that most Armagnacs aged in cask for the entire period when they are 30 years or younger.
As long as the cork or closure is checked or replaced every five to ten years, you can keep it sealed for practically indefinite amounts of time. It is best to keep it for no more than one to two years after opening it because, even though oxidation caused by air entering the bottle is minimal, it can still change the flavor. Ron Slye:
The value of a bottle of Armagnac
An old Armagnac bottle does not necessarily indicate a good Armagnac bottle. The brandy does not evolve under glass, so it is preferable to have a 1980 bottle of Armagnac that has spent its entire life under wood rather than a 100-year-old bottle that was placed under glass at a young age. Since producers are not currently required by law to disclose the date of bottling, it is challenging to determine the true age of Armagnacs in terms of years of actual aging. This is the primary cause of why it can be challenging to sell an old bottle of Armagnac at the right price. Many estates offer Armagnacs kept in casks, allowing you to sample an old Armagnac bottle sealed only when ordered and placed under glass. Between producers, the cost of a bottle of Armagnac can occasionally vary significantly, and it appears to be a reliable indicator of quality.