Detective Work

It's taken serious diligence, but after a few years of detective work I've managed to track down what happened to the last stocks of Pouchégu Armagnac. If you'll recall, Pierre Laporte's brandy was one of our original discoveries back in 2013 and the immediate customer feedback we received was off the charts. People went absolutely crazy for the combination of richness, concentration, and higher than normal proof, especially as the mature Bourbon shortage was just beginning and older American whiskies were disappearing from the market. The Pouchégu Armagnacs seemed like a pretty good substitute for those craving something old, woody, and sweetly spiced. 

Then something terrible happened. Pierre Laporte succumbed to to cancer shortly after our first order arrived in 2014 and all business stopped immediately thereafter. We tried to find out what the future held for his estate on our next visit, but apparently there were no heirs interested in continuing Pierre's legacy and eventually the stocks were sold off to a mystery buyer. We checked with all the regular negociants in the region, but none of them had been involved with the deal apparently. It was only after a random conversation with another distiller in the region that we discovered exactly who had purchased the remaining barrels.

Charles and I met with this mystery entity today and tasted through the vintages. They were every bit as spectacular as I remembered. The 1980 in particular might be the best Armagnac I've ever had in my life, an amazing combination of vanilla, oak, and bold baking spices with plenty of proof. I tried to hide my excitement so as not to tip my hand.

Now let's see if we can make a deal.

-David Driscoll