Armagnac

Armagnac is a high-quality French brandy produced in a delimited area of the Gers department in southwest France, the oldest brandy appellation in the country. Unlike Cognac, which is double-distilled in pot stills, Armagnac is typically distilled once in a traditional continuous column still, the alambic armagnacais, giving a fuller, more rustic spirit that retains more congeners. It is then matured in casks of local Gascon black oak, which shapes its amber colour and woody, fruity character. As a protected geographical indication, only brandy made within the zone under strict production rules may carry the name, and vintage-dated Armagnacs are a celebrated speciality of the region.