Aurian - Armagnac - 1979 - Wu Dram Klan - 49,6%
Photo taken somewhere in Stuttgart
B. Lancaster once said 'as long as you are curious, you defeat age'. Since we are extremely curious when it comes to high quality spirits (and want to live forever) it's about time to gain a foothold in the world of brandy with two of it's representatives: Cognac and Armagnac. Similar to the SWA, the rules for Cognac are clearly defined and strictly controlled by the AOC. No further details this time, but we shall attend to this in due course. This cask was selected by the special unit of the infamous WuDramClan, who ventured into the impenetrable jungle of distilleries of southern France for us.
Nose
Did we just land in the Caribbean? Say hello to a firework of exotic fruits like dried mangos and papayas, toffee, salted caramel, melted butter, dark chocolate and a pronounced dirtiness of Diesel oil. Very caroni-esque if you ask us (1994 Guyana Stock to be precise). Quelle surprise! But there is more: marzipan and amaretto for example, plus vanilla cake and some drops of fresh paint. We love that nose! It is fascinatingly close to rum and yet uniquely different.
Palate
Away from Trinidad and back to France! The bittersweet start is powerful and spicy, with a fat body and oily texture. Hazelnuts, walnuts, strong espresso and almonds alternate with maniok and some petrol. The oak is quite strong but well integrated and not overwhelming, which results in a very dry taste. We also detect a slight winey sourness, which reminds us that this spirit is made from grapes.
Finish
You cannot beat age in terms of a longlasting finish! Old and dusty hazelnuts, walnuts such as rubber coat the palate for hours.
Rating
The thrilling dirtiness, combined with dark fruits and a beautiful nuttiness strongly expanded our horizon. For sure this won't be the last 'Yak' on our table. Oh boy, there is still so much to explore. As we have no experience with Brandy, we're having a hard time rating this dram. Since a quantified evaluation forces the drinker to concentrate entirely on the spirit and to put everything he has tasted so far into perspective, we nevertherless dare to give it a try (without guarantee).
