How to Serve Armagnac

Armagnac is a digestif (a spirit that aids digestion) and is traditionally savored after a satisfying meal. This is certainly not the only time that consumers should enjoy an armagnac, however. Armagnac can be paired with certain desserts (almond cakes, apple tarts, orange and vanilla tarts, nougat and chocolate-based desserts, caramelized pears, fruit salads or plums macerated in armagnac to name a few). They also provide a great accompaniment to coffee and cigars (mild cigars matched with armagnacs with plenty of fruit and viscosity).

Armagnac is a live spirit that reacts to oxygen, but much less so than wine. If one puts the top on the bottle after pouring, there should not be a noticeable difference in the armagnac's taste as time goes by. When half the bottle is gone, purists sometimes transfer the other half to a smaller bottle, thus eliminating the amount of air contact with the spirit.

Traditionally a snifter is used to taste armagnac. Smaller, more tapered glasses, however, help focus armagnac's aromas better than many balloon glasses. Specific glasses have been designed which help concentrate an armagnac's flavors, including Riedel's spirits or brandy glasses. Thin glass is extremely important in heightening aromatics: thick-glass snifters belong on thrift store shelves rather than in the hands of connoisseurs.

Warming the glass in one's hand is pleasurable yet causes the alcohol aromas to surface before those of the fruit. Consequently, one normally holds a brandy glass by the base, like one would hold a wine glass. Believe it or not, some people think they should heat the glass with a candle before serving an armagnac: these people should be reminded of Richard Pryor's mishaps with heated glass!

The normal pour for an armagnac is 1.5 ounces although one can obviously make an assessment with much less in the glass. Procedure for tasting is much like that with wine. First one observes the color and clarity. Next, the first nose or nose without aeration; remember, armagnac has much more alcohol than wine. One has to play with the angle of the nose to the glass to find the spot where the fruit aromas surface over those of alcohol. Then comes the second nose or the nose with aeration. Next one tastes: perhaps a few drops on the palate to begin, then a small sip. This may be gently rolled around the palate for several seconds, then either spit or swallowed. One should then judge the finish and length.