Best armagnacs to buy in 2023 to sample the finest French brandy

This bottle comes with serious bragging rights: the brand is owned by Marc Darroze, brother of Helen Darroze, the three Michelin-starred chef at The Connaught.

For generations, the family has been scouring Gascony in search of the finest Armagnacs in the region, and as a result thousands of centuries-old treasures are stocked at the Darroze household (we, for one, would like to be a guest).

This, the 12 Year Old, is part of Marc’s Les Grands Assemblages range – a curation of age-defined blends that range from eight to 60 – and is suitably boisterous with hints of liquorice and cinnamon on the nose and floral notes, coffee and burnt sugar on the palate. The family can do no wrong.

With Alexander Stein, founder of German gin Monkey 47, at the helm, you just know this Armagnac is going to be a cut-above, particularly as he’s been newly-appointed to revitalise the brand and restore it to its former glory.

His mantra? “Armagnac is just like rock ‘n’ roll: unadjusted, passionate and soulful.” Accompanied by a VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and an XO (Extra Old), the fresh and vibrant VS (Very Special) certainly lives up to its premise, aged for two years to deliver aromas of apple and caramel with smooth flavours of fruit and black pepper. Delish.

Small-batch like the best of ‘em, Domaine D’Esperance 17 Year Old Petit Lot Armagnac Version Francaise is aged for just under 20 years, made from a blend of Folle Blanche, Baco 22A and Ugni Blanc grapes. As you might expect, it’s bold and rich on the nose with aromas of toffee, peach and honeysuckle, teamed with a palate of curry, honey and chocolate. Lively and well-balanced.

Aromas of fresh fruit, spices and oak wood combine in a VSOP to recreate all the richness and complexity found in this delightful Armagnac. It’s distilled more slowly than most to develop a fruitier, more powerful and tastier drink. Despite all that, it’s surprisingly easy to drink, light amber in colour, soft on the nose and oaky in the mouth.

An Armagnac matured in oak barrels for 25 years and made from Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Bacco 22A and Folle Blanche grapes. Caramel, cocoa butter and vanilla make this a sweet sip indeed, alongside distinctive woody tannins, with the bottle itself presented in a beautiful wooden box. Great for a gift.

You certainly get a lot of bang for your buck in Castarede XO 20 Year Old Bas Armagnac, which has been allowed to mellow with age. Suitably complex and characterful, a swirl around the glass treats you to aromas of chestnut, fried fruit and cigars, while a glug reveals a soft palate of ginger, Christmas and nuts. Simply divine.

Sometimes, youth has its advantages, and case in point is Domaine Tariquet Armagnac XO, distilled from Ugni Blanc and Bacco 22A grapes and aged for just 15 years. Supple and complex, it combines finesse and strength, packed with flavour of wood and fruit and aromas of freshly-baked bread.

Its price may be punchy, but this vintage Armagnac – limited to just 492 bottles – is proof that you really do get what you pay for. Spicy with notes of straw, figs orange blossom and figs, it’s both elegant and complex. Sure to slip down a treat when you retire to the billiard room after supper.

Soft and round with dried fruit and sweet nut flavours, this Armagnac delivers excellent value for money, while packaged up in a traditional bottle with curves in all the right places. Inhale those toffee, baked pear and almond aromas before drinking up that sweet, spicy liquid.

Pure joy can be poured from this bottle, a velvety Armaganc aged in oak for 20 years to create vanilla and brioche on the nose and vanilla, prunes and violets on the palate. It’s quite low in strength, too, meaning there’s never been a better excuse to have another glass.

With a bottle that stands out on the shelves, Prince de Conde Armaganc Basquise Brandy is intense and complex with flavours of fruit and wood that linger on the tongue. A belter of a bottle – especially at this price point.