Armagnac and Madeira

I was wondering if anyone here has ever enjoyed Armagnac or a nice Madeira?

The Armagnac is very similar to Cognac however it originates from a different much less known region of France. It is very underrated and not well known outside the region. When produced correctly it is a deep, full, naturaly sweet spirit that definately rivals the best Cognacs. My Fater-in-law has a vintage Armagnac from the twenties....Maybe he'll share it someday

Madeira is a fortified wine made on an island off the cost of North Africa. It is similar to port however once you open the bottle you don't have to finish it. Just put the cork back in and it will remain good indefinately. If you can get your hands on some vintage Madeira I suggest you grab some, it's goood stuff.

Hope you all enjoy the info. These spirits would go well with a nice cigar as well.

Haven't had either in any suitable form. Can't wait to try some good stuff. What are the suggestions from the knowledge base in the jungle?

I really like Maderia. It is not as sweet as port. After a big meal, a glass or two with a nice maduro. What a great way to end a day. Aged Maderia is very special and very expensive. But I must say cheap Maderia is better than no Maderia.

Originally Posted by Ivory Tower

Haven't had either in any suitable form. Can't wait to try some good stuff. What are the suggestions from the knowledge base in the jungle?

Ditto...can any of our libation savants out there suggest a good to great Armagnac that isn't too expensive?

Armagnac is excellent, think of it as like Cognac without as much body. Beautiful flavor and very smooth when done right. it was mainly used in the blending of cognacs, but in recent years has kind of taken on a following of its own (especially given the price of premium cognacs).

It's age designation breakdown is VS, VSOP, Reserve which determine an age of no less than four years and Extra, Napoleon,EX, and Vielle Reserve that indicate of a minimum of at least 5 years of age. Armagnac goes great with a cigar and is a nice break from cognac if you are a big cognac driker.

Madeira I do not know much about, but I found a great article on it here.

http://www.cigarweekly.com/magazine/...our-200403.asp


Enjoy,

ATL

I find Armagnacs fuller than cognacs. I have had quite a few of each, including a few bottles of XIII and Hennesey "Richard".
But for flavor and value, I find myself buying vintage armagnacs more often, mainly because they are MUCH less expensive and every bit as good, if not better than vintage cognacs.

I recently went through vintages 1953, 55, 63, 73, and 85. Not one bottle was over $200 bucks and they all were far better than cognacs at twice that price! The '85 was $129 and it was excellent, especially at that price.
Of course, JMHO!