L'Encantada XO...

L'Encantada XO (46.8%): This bottling is a blend of four single cask Armagnacs from L'Encantada's cellars created as a special project with PM Spirits. The blend includes two casks from Lous Pibous filled in 1989 (#61) and 1987 (#67), one cask from Del Cassau filled in 1994 (#55) and one cask from Bellair filled in 1997 (#181). Even though the new minimum age requirement for XO Armagnacs is recently raised from 6 years to 10 years, looking at the vintages of the four casks listed we can tell that the blend is actually way older than that. The vat yielded only 1600 bottles when bottled at cask strength..

Color: Deep copper, medium amber with oily and slow legs around the glass.

Nose: Pear compote, chalk and caramel brittle. Carrot cake, ground cloves and cinnamon. Pipe tobacco and crystallized ginger.

Palate: Tart and savory... Dill, dried strawberries and red currants. Toasted wood, allspice and tree sap. Grape molasses... It is way more savory I would ever expect from an Armagnac, let alone this one after all the sweet aromas I got on the nose.

Finish: Medium to short and dry with old leather, ginseng tea and unsweetened cacao drink. 

Overall: Although I liked it a lot in general I have to say that I missed that touch of sweetness on the finish I usually get in an Armagnac. That sugary and woody note fading out and drying your mouth... On the other hand it is a great one to offer to people who think that grape based aged spirits are always on the sweeter side. Oddly enough I remember reading about this bottling being an Armagnac for bourbon lovers when it was released more than a year ago but I don't agree with this statement necessarily. I think that you really have to love Armagnac to enjoy this one. Thanks to Sku for sharing this bottle as a part of his "kill bottle" night.

Price: $110

86/100