New K&L Exclusive Baraillon Armagnac
Another boat has just landed in Oakland and our latest container of Armagnac was on board. This time, we've got four new expressions from one of our most popular producers -- now with some more affordable options. We know that the 1985 Baraillon has been a huge hit with our customers, so it's time to dip into some of the younger expressions from the Claverie family.
Baraillon 10 Year Old K&L Exclusive Armagnac $52.99 – After so much success with the older vintage Armagnacs from Domaine de Baraillon, we thought it was time to introduce you to their younger selections. This 10 year old marriage of brandies was created specifically for K&L and offers the richer, rounder mouthfeel, but without the big burst of caramel. It's more vinous, more oily, more earthy in style and rounder on the finish. Compared to our other selections this one is far more gentle. It's a great entry level foray into country Armagnac as it's entirely unpolished in style. This tastes like it was made on a farm in the middle of the country by a rustic family who might also have chickens and pigs. And guess what: it was!!
1998 Baraillon K&L Exclusive Folle Blanche Vintage Armagnac $69.99 – We've expanded our selection from one of our favorite Armagnac producers: Domaine de Baraillon. After the success of last year's 1985 vintage brandy, we wanted to introduce you to their younger Folle Blanche selections. This 15 year old Armagnac is distilled from 100% Folle Blanche and exhibits that same unctuous, rich, caramel-laden profile but with more spice and a dusty finish. It's a big time crowd-pleaser of an Armagnac, the kind of thing that will taste good to your great uncle Larry, but still scratch that spirits geek itch in the back of your throat. One heckuva deal as well since we brought it in directly.
1893 Baraillon K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac $2499.99 – What happened in 1893? The great northern railway connected Seattle with the East Coast. Grover Cleveland was inaugurated for his second term as U.S. president. The Ferris Wheel debuted at the World's Fair in Chicago. Dvoráks New World Symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall. And....the Claverie family distilled this Armagnac at their small farm in Gascony. Made from pre-phylloxera grapes, and distilled by Mr. Claverie's great-grandfather, the 1893 Armagnac from Chateau Baraillon is a family heirloom, a piece of 19th Century history, and one amazing bottle of brandy. Big spice, incredible richness, and lots of spice dominate the palate. The brandy is nuanced, powerful, and almost other-worldly. Maple syrup, exotic spices, lean on the finish and slightly oxidized, but in a good way. But, really, this isn't so much about the flavor, is it? This is a chance to say, "That '93 Armagnac was pretty incredible. Oh....I meant 1893, by the way, not 1993."
1933 Baraillon K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac $799.99 – What happened in 1933? Construction began on the Golden Gate bridge. The United States voted to give the Philippines its independence. Hitler was in charge of Germany. FDR introduced his New Deal. And....the Claverie family distilled this batch of Armagnac at their small farm in Gascony and there it sat until we had it bottled for K&L 80 years later. The 1933 Baraillon has a fragrant nose of spicy ginger with loads of oak barrel accents. The flavors are alive and full of fruit, brimming with wood spices and even a bit of pine or cedar. The finish is almost like sandelwood or incense. This is a historic brandy, incredibily limited, and only available at K&L!
One of my favorite things about the Baraillon Armagnacs is that they taste a little farmy. They're rustic and unpolished, despite their supple richness. But that's authenticity because look at the above picture -- this is the guy who made your brandy, Mr. Claverie. He took off his hat to come taste us on some new expressions, but after we left he went right back out to the barn.
-David Driscoll