Swell de Spirits Wonders Series #5 Baraillon FB 2005 49,9%

This Bas-Armagnac comes from Domaine de Baraillon, distilled in 2005 from Folle Blanche grapes. Bottled by Swell de Spirits as part of the “Wonders” series, it was released at cask strength (49.9%), without reduction or additives.

Colour: Mahogany, orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.

Nose: Immediate heavy tannins. Bold roasted notes merging into leathery aromas. A strong, assertive profile, very much in line with what I associate with Baraillon’s DNA. Slight musky touches in the background, with faint camphory accents adding to the rustic impression.

Palate: Ample texture. Raisins come first, followed by round and indulgent chocolate notes. Warm spices appear next, paprika and ras-el-hanout, but the palate remains dominated by chocolate and various nutty tones.

Last notes: With air, heady potpourri notes emerge. Rustic oak, damp cellar impressions, rotten walnut and linseed oil. Shy tinned plum in the background. Back on the palate, dark chocolate returns with sharp spices, mainly on nutmeg and black pepper. Firm and uncompromising until the end.

As expected, a bold and structured Armagnac. Not really my kind of profile: I miss balance and finesse here.

My very subjective note: 84/100