Tag: armagnac

When you think of Armagnac, the image that usually comes to mind is a golden-hued brandy, aged in oak barrels and enjoyed by the fireside. However, Armagnac begins its life as a clear spirit, known as Blanche Armagnac. This unaged ‘eau-de-vie’ is a crystal-clear distillate made from white wine, using a blend of up to ten different grape varieties, most commonly Ugni Blanc and Colombard. Blanche Armagnac, such as Blanche de Cassagnoles, is intensely aromatic, offering fresh and vibrant flavours that are not found in its aged counterparts. Upon distillation, it carries fruity and floral notes of pears, white peaches,… Read more

Our office reopened on the 2nd of January and as we move into another year in the twenty first century (can you believe it’s nearly 25 years since the start of the new millennium!?) we thought we would bring you some January cheer with our Bin Ends Sale. Lots of fabulous products at half price, the alcohol is all in perfect condition but some have damaged labels, tops or bottles and others are just end of line. The Sale is listed on the Home page, grab a bargain whilst you can as there are only limited stocks available. And talking… Read more

Henry Jeffrey’s latest article in Club Oenologique hails armagnac as a growing market gaining much attention from whisky and bourbon drinkers.  Not only because of its wonderful flavours and availability but also because it is such excellent value for money.  David Baker, our MD, is quoted, once or twice, referring to the unbelievable price increases seen in whisky in recent years.  “Whisky prices have become ridiculous” he said, whilst amazed that people will pay ten or even a hundred times what they would pay for a fine cognac or armagnac for whiskies that are “just not that spectacular”.  Armagnac value can no longer be ignored…. Read more

March is a month that celebrates women, with International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day well established in the worldwide calendar.  Jane McQuitty has been writing in The Times about the relationship between women and armagnac.  Not dissimilar to cognac, armagnac is made on a continuous column still and its lower distillation range, of between 52 – 72 % ab, allows a greater fruitiness in the spirit, although sometimes at the expense of refinement.  She heralds the many female armagnac producers including our very good friend Florence Castarede, the sixth generation of her family to produce the very fine Castarede Bas Armagnac.  The… Read more

Here at Brandyclassics and Bunch & Bushel we sell three main types of French brandy: cognac, armagnac and calvados. Brandy is the generic name for spirits that have been made from fruit and produced all over the world.  But some brandies have very specific guidelines concerning their production.  So what is the difference between our products?  This can be summarised as follows: COGNAC Made from specific grape varieties Produced in the Cognac region of France only The eau de vie must be distilled twice Distilled in copper pot Charentais stills. ARMAGNAC Made from specific grape varieties Produced in the Armagnac region… Read more

It’s been a difficult time, financially, for everyone this year as prices increase. With energy prices soaring and raw material shortages across the globe, all our producers are struggling with increased costs. Unfortunately, these increased costs have inevitably been passed on to us and so we have had to review our prices too. Our new prices will, therefore, come into effect on Monday 25th July. So, if you have some summer birthday gifts to buy, now’s the time to do it!

This year we have expanded our online offering to include more spirits and liqueurs than ever before.  So, in addition to our award-winning cognacs, armagnacs and calvados, we now have organic whiskies and gins, liqueurs and grappas, eaux de vie and vermouths.  Do take a look at our website, we really do have Christmas gifts for everyone! For Christmas deliveries to addresses in the UK please ensure your orders are with us by 12 noon on Wednesday 22nd December 2021 Generally, UK orders placed before 12 noon will be delivered the following working day but please be aware that although we are able to process… Read more

We are delighted to inform you that, the United States of America has suspended the 25% Tariff on imported European brandies that was levied at the beginning of this year.  It had been hoped that the recent change of administration would look more favourably on European goods so this ‘Tariff Suspended’ news is great for our industry. All our products, with an abv of 40%, or above, and which originated in the European Union, were affected. Initially the Tariff suspension will be for four months but we are all keeping our fingers crossed that it will become a permanent arrangement.

Armagnac is produced in the south west of France in the departments of Gers and Landes in the region known as Gascony. The region has very little industry and the landscape is relatively flat, very green and the people are friendly, living an altogether quieter life than those in Cognac to the north. Indeed, most of the land is given over to agriculture and perhaps well described by Nick Faith, the famous writer on French Brandies, as the land of Fois Gras.  An ideal base for armagnac crus. The climate is perhaps a little warmer than in Cognac but still… Read more

For Christmas deliveries to addresses in the UK please ensure your orders are with us by 10 am on Tuesday 22nd December 2020. Generally UK orders placed before 12 noon will be delivered the following working day but please be aware that although we are able to process orders within 1 working day, Parcelforce are not always able to meet their normal delivery times at present. Our deliveries to America are also taking longer than usual due to a shortage of flights so all orders to the rest of the world should be placed as soon as possible please.  More… Read more