This is the older brother to Cognac, having been invented - it is believed - by a clever 14th century apothecary, called Arnaud de Villeneuve, and named after the counts of Armagnac, the Albrets, a powerful political force in France between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Armagnac is produced in Gascony, south west of the Cognac region and, like the Cognac area, there are three important areas for it: Bas Armagnac, Haut Armagnac, and Tenareze.

The production process is different and less rigid than that of Cognac. It is distilled just once in a copper still - Cognac being distilled twice though just to confuse the issue, some Armagnacs are now distilled twice. It then ages in oak for anything from four and twenty years to a delicious amber colour and lessens in alcohol as it ages. Producers can experiment with a variety of grapes - namely Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche and Baco - and the result is a superb and complex drink with a softer and rounder flavour than its younger brother.

Needless to say Armagnac is so popular around the world that almost half the bottles made are exported, and we stock some of the best.