Del Cassou
From L'Encantada: Located in the Landes in the commune of Arthez-d'Armagnac, Domaine Del Cassou produces Bas-Armagnac exclusively from the Baco grape variety. Some vineyard plots are more than a century old. In order to preserve the naturally fruity character of its Armagnacs as much as possible, the estate uses only used red oak barrels for maturation.
1998 Del Cassou 23 yr. - #43 - 49.1%
Notes: Lots of hard candied, burnt sugar notes - caramel, butterscotch. Oatmeal cookies, buttercream frosting. It's a decadent nose. Some brighter fruit notes are hanging in the periphery - green grapes, plums. Rich up front on the palate as well - concentrated with wood sugars. Butterscotch carries all the way through the finish. Along the way, the palate lifts with florals and spice (dried flower cones). Wood picks up on the back.
Score: 9 (Stash Two) I also loved the Hail Yak! sister cask. This is lovely, dark, and deep while managing to not get bogged down. I stashed more than two but they were 500 ml bottles so...
1987 Del Cassou 34 yr. - #10 - 48.6%
Notes: Oak won't be shy on this one. Varnish (stays on the right side of this note). Cigar box. Cocoa powder. On the palate the oak leans savory - old, dense, spicy. Oily and weighty. Toward the finish dried fruits emerge - apples, sumac berries, raisins. Sherry. Salinity. Touch of cola runs underneath it all - bit of an amaro nod.
Score: 8 (Stash One) If you're into an intense oak profile done well, this one can scratch the itch. I've had some 80s Belair that also plays in this space.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour