Baron de Sigognac 20 YO Bas-Armagnac: This Is One Rich & Sultry Frenchie!
- Jul 26, 2015
- 3 min read
This week we’ve gone all oh-la-la and dived into the devilishly delectable world of Armagnac, pulling out of our bottomless, boozy bag a Bas-Armagnac that will make you go weak at your bloody knees; Baron de Sigognac 20 year old. And if you’re looking for a sipper that will fill your senses with fruitful sweetness and velvety depth, then this fella is your main man. So without further a due, let’s delve a little deeper into the origins of this fine, sultry Frenchie.
Weighing in at 40% ABV, this Bas-Armagnac hails from the Gascony region of France and is produced by the Gausch family, whose roots stem from Gascony in the Twelfth Century, but are run today by a father and son team who focus on solely producing Bas-Armagnac. (For those not in the know, Bas-Armagnac is one of three official production areas in Armagnac, the other two being Armagnac-Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac, and are controlled by separate appellation regulations. This means the French have strict rules and regulations in place to ensure an Armagnac can be called either of the above.) Winning a gold medal at the 2005 International Spirits Awards, this bottle is artisanal and made in small batches. It also benefits from spending twenty years in the barrel, giving it such a soft, velvety and rich character that would excite any intrepid imbiber. So, let’s get imbibing then!
Well on first inhale you are gently pummeled by such a luscious, sweet and fruity burst of aroma, that it just makes you simply sigh with pure bliss. Take a few more inhales and you’ll find beautifully light hits of spice – nutmeg, cinnamon - enwrap your senses, adding such warmth and dept to this glorious Bas-Armagnac. Next to tantalise your senses is waft upon waft of dewy, caramelised apples that makes you feel like you’ve just waltzed into a room filled with the most decedent apple pies ever to be cooked up! It’s so amazing! Warm vanilla makes its entrance at the end, helping to round off this sensory display of sheer awesomeness!
But it’s the taste of this Bas-Armagnac that will truly have you wrapped around its alcoholic little finger. Rich, sultry sweetness sashays its fine rear-end in, completely bowling you over with hits of toothsome dried fruit in the form of figs, raisins and gloriously honeyed apples. There’s a touch of the floral entwining in with this sweetness; rose maybe and a whisper of violet, that adds to the complexity and velvety depth of this powerhouse. But being in the company of such a fine Bas-Armagnac makes us simply feel like we shouldn’t swear or we should sit up straight, like we’re in the present of boozy royalty and we should behave as such, which is pretty hard for us; we are part Irish after all! However we are doing our best, though!
But keep sipping and you’ll find those soft spices envelope on your tongue, dancing so lightly amongst the sweetness and expelling bursts of warmth, giving you the feeling that an opulent fruitcake has just exploded in your mouth! A good, bountiful hit of wood makes its way to the party, ensuring that the sweetness is not too overpowering, and last to enter in is vanilla but shaped in an almost custardy form of its-fine-self. But the consistency of this illustrious dram is so creamy, so thick and luxurious that it adds so beautifully to the whole drinking experience of this Bas-Armagnac. And the finish is pretty amazing too: long, spicy, smooth and wonderfully drawn out.
But for us it’s those insane hits of sweetness that utterly bowled us over; it’s so caramelised, so fruitfully toothsome and just down right enticing. The more you sip, the more you want to sip and the even more you sip, the even more you fall deeply in love with it. And to be fair, it’s the closest we’ll ever get to drink with royalty, but in all honestly; we think this would be a miles better option anyway! Take that, Queenie!
Pick yourself up a bottle here.
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