50 year old Armagnac in a cocktail???? SAY WHAT!?!?!?

I can see veins throbbing from here.

Would you put a 1965 Chateau de Labaude single estate/single vineyard/single vintage (and exceptionally delicious) Armagnac in a cocktail? Actually, two cocktails.

Would you put a 50 year old single estate Armagnac in a cocktail?

Many people would call you crazy, or at the very least a perpetrator of high crimes and misdemeanors, for desecrating such a venerable brandy by mixing it in a ***shudder*** cocktail. Your parentage would be questioned; teeth would be gnashed; veins would throb; and heads would explode.

But when Kevin Tuan, reputed to be one of the top bartenders in Hanoi, created two delicious cocktails based on Chateau de Laubade 1965 Single Estate Armagnac, the owners of Chateau de Laubade were delighted, and couldn’t wait to post it on their Facebook feed.

Kevin Tuan crafts his cocktail creations at the Bar Pharaoh in the Lotte Hoteld’Hanoi. When he discovered the remarkable single estate/single vineyard/vintage dated Armagnacs of Chateau de Laubade, he immediately created two new cocktails.

The Laubade de Pharaoh was a classic take on a brandy sour, laced with orange and lemon juice and emboldened with a dash of Angostura bitters. Wild Mint in 1965 was a whimsical variation on the minty mojito, or you might call it “thyme on time” in reference to Kevin’s inspired use of selfsame herb, whether pun intended or not.

I can remember inviting the president of one of the largest privately held insurance agencies to our house for dinner. He had told me about his love of good white wines so I served him a Montrachet so as to be sure to make an impression for business purposes. He tasted the wine and gave his thumbs up sign. Sadly a few minutes later while people were chatting away I noticed him slipping a couple of ice cubes into his wine glass. 50 year old Armagnac in a cocktail, Ice cubes in a Montrachet. These are two things that qualify even to an atheist as a sacrilege punishable by at least 50 lashes.

50 year old Armagnac in a cocktail, Ice cubes in a Montrachet. These are two things that qualify even to an atheist as a sacrilege punishable by at least 50 lashes.

In the case of the Armagnac that would come out to one lash for each year of sacrilege Lou. Are you sure that's enough?

I'll admit I would be reluctant to use a 1965 Armagnac for a cocktail. On the other hand, the Laubade XO, at a mere 15--25 years old was rather good in both the cocktails. So I guess that makes me a half-assed sacrilegious heathen. And yes, I do have a few stripes on my back over the years.

I like to use good stuff for mixing, but that's silly.

[Robin Garr]

I am reminded of a hip cocktail lounge here that put most of their allocation of Trophy Booze "Pappy" Van Winkle into jello shots, and got death threats from bourbon snobs.

while I don't have real objections to anyone doing anything with a beverage they own,I find it hard to believe from descriptions that anyone could tell difference if a reasonably smooth armagnac or cognac was substituted. So this is all about showing off

while I don't have real objections to anyone doing anything with a beverage they own,I find it hard to believe from descriptions that anyone could tell difference if a reasonably smooth armagnac or cognac was substituted. So this is all about showing off

Well, it is Asia/Pacific so there is something of a tradition for using western-style trophy stuff in ways that would seem strange to us gaijin.

But yeah. It would never occur to me to put that 1965 in a mojito cocktail. I hope it was a really, really good cocktail. Personally, I think a VS or VSOP tops would be great in this kind of drink.

What’s so wrong with using “the finest ingredients” obtainable?

Salute

while I don't have real objections to anyone doing anything with a beverage they own,I find it hard to believe from descriptions that anyone could tell difference if a reasonably smooth armagnac or cognac was substituted. So this is all about showing off

I agree. I'm wondering if the approval of the owners of Ch.Labaude is not commercially motivated. I don't think that fine Cognac and Armagnac is an easy sell nowadays and anything that helps to move inventory is good for the producer's cash flow.

There's always that question, Tim. They are, after all, a business that needs to have flow to be profitable and survive.

And the Lesgourges family are pretty sharp and savvy. But knowing the reputation of Laubade, having been knowlegeable about them going back to the previous generation, and recently visiting them (Summer last), I think I an safely say that the family, the distiller, and the blender/cellar master are fiercely devoted to quality...above and beyond the requisite, in fact.

Laubade is also considered the best armagnac in terms of medals and awards and has the best full-range-offering of any armagnac...and yes, that's in large part due to the successful market visits of the various Lesgourges folks; they are quite dynamic.

I would say that the vineyard/distilllery/maturation/blending is fiercely devoted to quality, but that the family is also aware of effective marketing and market penetration. They care how they make armagnac; they're not as concerned with how the buyers drink their armagnac.

Especially in the Asian market, which has different consumption patterns than we, and which was first a golden goose, which turned into dross, and is no beginning a revival for brandy. To have such success, and response to the product, signals not only good armagnac but good promotion of it.

I figure, going back to the original "What? They drink their Lafite in Coca-Cola????" controversial response to the Asian approach to luxury items, my opinion has always been that once the customer buys the product, he/she gets to do whatever desired with it. They don't have to conform to my preferences; they own the precious liquid. I suspect the Lesgourges folks feel the same.

And, hey, if a mojito/vintage armagnac successfully lures one more person into what will become a love affair with that exceptional brandy, there's nothing wrong with that.

The first time I was in Hong Kong in the 80s I remember how the locals would place bottles of good cognac on the table at restaurants and drink it along with their food like it was wine. Hoke this is a tradition that you should work on to revive ASAP. Now just because this is a suggestion from a know nothing source it shouldn't stand in your way. Im joining the opinionated public not the knowledgeable few, it's so much easier. Your friend, Lou