Thanks for stopping by!

It definitely is!

Thanks for for stopping by!😀

Yeah, Harmony has a huge following these days.

@kyotoblack5164 oh jeez. Plus it's getting more pricey too

@@Adrian802 😓

@kyotoblack5164 well just go for Armagnac. Hyper age spirits at rock bottom price.

@@Adrian802 My thoughts exactly. In a decade, we'll look like geniuses lol

That's a very interesting question indeed. What becomes the grounds for differentiation and is there a value added message to be communicated? Even logistically, what is even possible to preserve or guide in terms of terroir? I feel like Adam and I might need to revisit this conversation. Thank you for your thoughtful input!

​@kyotoblack5164 What becomes the grounds for differentiation, and is there a value added message to be communicated? The ground of differentiation should be the quality of the product that the region, parcel, and winery.. If we look at 1700 Tokaji Classification, they know the difference in quality of the vineyard even before the classification because of demand and pricing ( the best one goes to the Royal Court). The foundation of the 1855 classification is based on the price that the bottles were selling at that time ( chateaus do have their dark and down times, so quality can change too). Quality is the aid for communication/marketing, but the promotion aspect depends on the person itself. Technically, distilleries can be ranked, and plantation land for grains can be ranked by Scotland, but whether people accept it or whether the government will want to do it is another story. ( One thing I'm certain is that they can't use longevity to the whisky as ranking since they can be stored for a very very very, very, very long, long time unopened. logistically, what is even possible to preserve or guide in terms of terroir? It could be possible if consumers can differentiate the differences based on the: soil, sun, and weather, which affects the quality of the malts and how marketing emphasizes the importance of terroir. For Armagnac, it is possible because it is an untapped product plus how it's advertised. I know Bas Armagnac is the better grape growing region, and it's not as complicated compared to other regions. Champagne has many grand Cru villages, and I don't even want to get into naming them ( Ay, Les Mesnil sur Oger, Chouilly, Aviz, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Cramant, Verzenay etc..) but some do emphasize Terroir. In my opinion, perhaps the master of emphasizing terroir is Burgundy because Pinot Noir and chardonnay are the two grapes permitted to be planted and even that depends on parcel.For Scotch, I don't even know the names of the plantation fields unless they give it names. Japanese whiskies will be hard because their grains are imported, so it depends on the craftsmanship. Personally, Armagnacs ticks all the boxes, especially age and vintage date, category. We're not going to grab a 1970 vintage scotch for a few hundred off the shelf anymore ( those days are long gone). For Armagnac, we can still find them, but like Adam said, they're disappearing FAST. Once those guys in Asia start noticing it, it'll be too late. We'll probably see 1 to 3+ trailing zeroes in the price tag, and that's not a good thing for hoarders. A vintage Armagnac aged for 30-50 years costing a few hundred bucks? It's a no-brainer.

@@Adrian802 Looks like now's the time to take a strong position then.

@@KyotoBlackCoffee back up the truck. Let's hoard those vintage ones.

@@Adrian802 L'chaim!

Praise worthy of Caesar!

Much Appreciated!

Tasting notes Please.I bought two 1993 Laubade, and I'm planning to get more.

@@Adrian802 Upon your request I have poured myself a glass and am giving you an evaluation of the current glass. This Armagnac changes each time you go back to it and so this evaluation only applies to this current tasting. Also, I just brushed my teeth so that will affect what I smell and taste. On the nose: very delicate, a little bit like nail polish remover, but not in the young brandy nail polish remover type note - something a bit more refined. It's funny because nail polish remover is something you associate with young brandies, but here it seems like it has gone full circle back to the nail polish remover stage after 40 years in a cask. I must stress that the nail polish remover note is delicate and only noticeable when you search for it. One other thing about this Armagnac is that after it got past the shoulder I got a very strong barrel spice note on the nose and palette that tasted like clove or cumin. It was very bitter and strong. It wasn't pleasant. It was due to it's age and the time it spent in the barrel. I solved this by leaving the bottle with its lid off for 20 minutes and now the barrel spice is gone and it is much more mellow. This is a trick that works well with old brandies and whiskies. This Armagnac changes every time you go back to it. At the moment I am only a little way past the shoulder. You also get a hint of stewed apple and pear on the nose. You also get Liquorice Allsorts on the nose (confectionary you get in the UK, not sure where else it is available in the world). On the palette: again, very delicate and not overpowering (expect for when it had the strong clove spice taste). Sweet on the palette with a medium to long finish that is very pleasant. This Armagnac pairs quite well with a cigar and I have paired it with cigars once or twice. There's no bitterness on the palette but there is not much else going on in the glass. When I taste this again some time, when I have not just brushed my teeth I will give you better notes than this.

@sachinkainth9508 thank you so much for the wonderful tasting note. I'm extremely inexperienced in Armagnac but your notes just wowed me. I would love to give it a try when my crew ain't so busy. Thank you so much.

@@sachinkainth9508 I opened my 1993 last week with my buddy before the snowstorm as it was the only time I can try it to see whether I like it or not. When opened, it does need abit of air for it to open. Once it does oh man!! Raisins, prunes, with a hint of oak. What surprised me was that even though it's 29 years ( I know it's still considered " young" for Armagnac), it still has the spice but after that heat, it's smooth with a little bit of sweetness trailing behind. I really enjoyed it and I'm loading a few more bottles so it can be stored away as we know, it's going to get harder and harder to find.

@@Adrian802 Awesome. Yeah, right now Armagnac is kind of undervalued and left unnoticed. Good idea to stock up and great review - thanks.

The age statement refers to the youngest liquid in the bottle. So a 40 yo Armagnac is matured at least 40 years or even longer. Darroze for instance always keep a bit of their bottled 20, 30, 40 or 50 yo assemblage and put it in the next one. So it gets older and older every time they bottle it.

I haven't, but I love black sesame ice cream. Does it make a good milk for coffee?

The dreaded.

A regular coffee maker will actually do the trick. The key is making sure you have an excellent burr grinder.

You know it!

Memory is such a crucial part of palate for me too! In fact, when I think about it, my palate is the form of memorization that I actively train the most.

You're very welcome!

You can press your espresso through an aeropress to get better drink clarity too. I like 2 paper filters. Also, my Turkish coffee recipe on Instagram is a great Turkish substitute.

Anytime!

That sounds awesome!

It definitely deserves more recognition. Until then, I'm getting my hands on as much as possible.

Sure thing!

I love pleasant surprises😉

Thank you so much. I'd be happy to come your way to grab it!

@@KyotoBlackCoffee how much do you need? It’s in a giant bag so I’ll put some in a ziploc for you

@@rachellep3077 Just 2 oz would be enough for me. That could fit in a 1st class envelope with a single stamp too. You could send it to my shop.

interesting!! I'm definitely keeping an eye on A2 milk next time I'm in the store

I'm not really sure what the issue is with me (protein or lactose) by the A2 is doing the trick.

I'm looking forward to trading with you! I know it'll be something yummy 😋

They are very elite