Chateau de Laubade 1992

Chateau de Laubade 1992

Brandy: Armagnac
Region: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Laubade
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 40%

N: Raisins, blueberries, strawberries, honey, peaches, vanilla, hints of cinnamon.

M: Light body, astringent, hot, thickens.

T: Sweet sour. Raisins, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, honey, orange peel.

F: Medium. Walnuts, camphor, honey, blueberries.

Comments:

This is a blast from the past - I tasted this armagnac on 21 October 2009, somewhere. No, I can't quite remember where either, it was probably as a digestif in a restaurant. It was probably the first vintage armagnac I'd ever had, and I clearly found it incredibly fruity. Lots of sweet estery notes, although not much of that classic armagnac pruneaux notes.

I noted at the time that it didn't share many characteristics with the previous Chateau de Laubade (age statement only, no vintage) that I'd had, save for a wave of orange peel. I'm not sure my palate has advanced since then - I may now be able to distinguish between armagnac and cognac (mostly) but I still could not tell the difference between distilleries or producers. To be honest, it's still hit and miss with whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Chateau de Laubade XO 15yo

Chateau de Laubade XO 15yo

Brandy: Armagnac
From: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Laubade
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 40%

N: Orange peel, soy sauce, strawberries, black pepper, roast ham, menthol.

M: Light body, thickens in the mouth, slightly oily.

T: Sweet sour. Orange peel, strawberries, menthol, marmalade.

F: Medium. Strawberries, roses.

Comments:

I drank this brandy a decade ago. I don't know exactly where, but it was probably a restaurant somewhere in London. My tasting notes are slightly odd:

" Very salty and strong in the nose, with a sharp bite of menthol. Once tasted however, this armagnac becomes a different creature - sweet on the tongue, with a little teasing hints of mint as a reminder of the robust, salty, tangy nose. The finish is also quite gentle, although it would be hard to top that first whiff from the lip of the glass!"

It's interesting to see how much my palate has changed. I feel I understand layers better, and I have more patience, simply sipping and letting the flavours develop in my mouth. It would be interesting to taste this brandy again to see what I would record, but I believe it has been discontinued, more's the pity.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.