Oct. 28--It's rather surprising that unaged whiskey is as popular as it is. Having tasted more than my fair share of white whiskeys, white dogs and moonshines, all too often I find them -- how to put it? -- incomplete, a bit raw. After all, the wooden barrels that whiskey ages in round out the spirit, giving it a depth and character while, at the same time, hiding some of its flaws.
And so you might think the same thing would hold true when it comes to Armagnac, the relatively obscure (at least in the United States) French brandy distilled from white grapes that's typically aged in casks made from local oak. But clear, unaged Armagnac, or "la Blanche," can be light and fruity and actually bring to light some floral notes that otherwise get lost when the brandy ages in wood.
Armagnac, like its close cousin cognac, traditionally is a brown spirit. Both brandies come from southwest France's Aquitaine region, both use similar grapes such as ugni blanc and folle blanche to produce their base wines, and both are distilled at a lower alcohol content than most other spirits. That final piece is an important detail because the lower the proof is off the still, the more flavor and aroma remain in the resulting spirit.
But while cognac is distilled twice, Armagnac is only distilled once. That's why Armagnac is more fragrant and flavorful -- you might say rustic -- than cognac and why Armagnac is sometimes referred to as cognac's "hick cousin."
For centuries, the unaged version of Armagnac was simply considered a brandy or eau de vie. It sought to capture the essence of the grapes that it's distilled from. But in 2005, in a bit of a marketing ploy, Remy Grassa, proprietor of Chateau du Tariquet, and other Armagnac producers who made unaged Armagnac decided to rebrand the spirit. In doing so, they pushed for the French government to award them an Appellation d'Origine Controlee, the French certification granted to geographical areas known for producing particular agricultural products, like wine and cheese.
"We wanted to make a link between our eau de vie and Armagnac," Grassa says.
The government agency awarded an AOC Blanche Armagnac, and the plan worked. Sales in France of Armagnac blanc keep growing as the spirit is drunk on its own -- served either chilled or at room temperature. And, in much the same way that white whiskey grew in popularity when people started subbing in the clear spirit for aged whiskey, Blanche Armagnac is increasingly being used in place of tequila, rum and other clear spirits. Rather than hide in the background, the spirit adds a new dimension to cocktails like a so-called Blanche Sunrise or Blanche Mojito because of its rich flavors and aromas.
Try it
Chateau du Tariquet Blanche Armagnac: Produced exclusively from folle blanche grapes, the spirit has a bright ripe pear nose and notes of pear, red plum, almond and caramel.
Zak Stambor is a freelance writer.
