1998 Ladeveze Armagnac from K&L

This is a new K&L Armagnac that they are very proud of. It is distilled from Graisse grapes in the Tenareze region of Armagnac. K&L only had 40 bottles to start with, and they sold out of those, but they expect to get more this fall.

1998 Ladeveze, K&L, 16 yo, 45% abv ($120)

The nose is very fruity with just a touch of spice - more of a Cognac nose than an Armagnac. The palate begins dry and fruity, but it quickly becomes diluted and flat tasting. Around mid-palate, the flavor just sort of disappears, and you're left with a sort of plastic note. The finish has a very vague pepper note, followed (much later) by green apples and medicinal notes on the palate and a slightly fruity nose.

I was really disappointed with this one. There's just not much to it. To be fair, K&L's David Driscoll specifically said, "This is not a Bourbon drinker’s brandy; it’s a wine lover’s brandy." I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, so maybe that's true, but this bourbon (and brandy) drinker wasn't impressed.

There is some good brandy news from K&L though. They just got new shipments of the 1994 and 1996 Chateau de Pellehaut, two of my favorite Armagnacs from last year.