Domaine de Baraillon 35 years

Tasting notes Serge Valentin: 90 points

It's to be noticed that 'ans' means 'years', as any Francophile brandy lover will know. Also that, as the label tells us, this is 'Eau-de-Vie de France' and not eau-de-vie de California, de Russia or de China. Better safe than sorry, they also say.

Colour: deep amber.

Nose: oak's varnish, glue, acetone and ammonia. Hell, let's sleep on it… zzz.. zzz… Oh, ham, Grisons meat, teriyaki sauce, propolis and pollen, nori, hints of model glue, also pine honey…

Mouth: superb varnish-oak-and-paint driven arrival, with amazing notes of old wine barrel – I mean, really old -  and rotting fruits (bananas, oranges, pineapples…) I mean, this is truly 'antique style', and having some family that used to grow and breed both corrida bulls and armagnacs down there in the Gers, I can tell you that there's no armagnac more traditional than this. It's just that they usually don't sell these and keep them for themselves. Loco brandy.

Finish: more varnish and drier honeys. Curious salty aftertaste.

Comments: no, really, they usually don't sell these, they tend to end up in the 'réserve de la famille'. I love this but I'd understand why you would not.