2003 Domaine du Cardinat 19 Year Old K&L Exclusive Single Cask #131 Bas-Armagnac (750ml)

Continuing the Cardinat tradition of offering insane values and big oaky style armagnacs, this barrel of 2003 was selected in early Spring of 2023. Due to a bit of a clerical mix up the barrels were not bottled and shipped until early 2024, so we've got the old prices locked in here. I liked this barrel so much I snagged the entire thing. This is truly the bourbon drinkers brandy here and will convert any brown spirits lover to a diehard Armagnac fan given the chance. Not a big risk here, 2 decades in a barrel and still only $75. Let's taste it. The color is a deep old oak (1.8). The nose is big and woody, but not plank-y or sawdust at all. Instead it's hyper developed old wood, exotic and varnished cuts. It reminds me immediately of some of the 70s and 80s bourbons we wished were still made - looking at you National Distillers! Now with some air some gorgeous caramelized fruit, sweet maple candies, dried peach and cherry jam. On the palate its absolutely stunning offering a thick coating mouth feel and a big oaky sweetness up front. Tangy red fruit candies, rich roasted vanilla, dark espresso bean and a hints of licorice and hazelnut. Its juicy and wild, but so balanced you'd have thought they added sugar to balance the gripe of the powerful oak. They didn't. It's just so splendid and delicious, I've been fighting their price increases, but after tasting this I think we might just need to accept that Cardinat is the most undervalued brown spirit on the market today. Hard to ask them to charge less when its this good, but I'll keep trying to keep these at this price point for as long as possible.