L'Encantada - Bas Armagnac, XO (750ml)

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This particular one-off release of just 1,600 bottles is a team effort between Nicolas Palazzi, of PM Spirits, and Armagnac cask hunters L’Encantada, who curate their selections on “authenticity, tradition, and know-how.” Everything they select is “barrel raw” with neither color nor alcohol content modified. L’Encantada has caught the attention of Bourbon Whiskey connoisseurs with bottlings that offer power and richness reminiscent of top quality Bourbon, with a high value proposition to boot. This release is a blend of four unique casks: Domaine Louis Pibous 1989, Domaine Louis Pibous 1987, Domaine del Cassou 1994 and Domaine Bellair 1997. All four casks were produced on the traditional traveling Alembic still and aged in local Gascon oak. This is a benchmark moment for Armagnac in the US market, as cask-hunted releases rarely make it over here.

L’Encantada XO Armagnac is a richly textured, deeply layered, and effusively aromatic spirit. Even at first glance, it offers something familiar to Bourbon lovers, a lovely deep burnt amber hue which serves as an entrée to heady aromas of caramel and spice detailed by dried fruits, mineral and mint, owed to high quality Folle Blanche and Baco grapes. Texturally, the feel is very powerful, particularly here at cask strength of 46.8%. A few drops of water will tame this for someone looking for a more traditional Armagnac experience, but Bourbon lovers may prefer to dive in full strength. On the palate, this is a well-balanced, complete drink of exceptional quality, length and concentration. The flavors unfold revealing a clear story line: toffee, caramel, and sweet Virginia tobacco speak to the time evolving in oak, while dried apricot, fig, and haunting floral high tones tell the tale of vineyard, winemaking and alchemy, transmuting all of the careful efforts into an other-worldly experience.