Charles Neal's Guide to Armagnac and Cognac

“It seems that every five years or so, whiskey prices take a bump, so people say, 'Oh, let’s get into Armagnac.' And they buy a number of Armagnacs, but they eventually go back to whiskey again. The question is, why do they do that, and what can Armagnac do to retain that customer?” – Charles Neal 

Like Champagne, a handful of big houses dominate Cognac. Also like Champagne, it's the small, independent producers that offer more compelling expressions—and they have better stories to tell. Charles Neal has devoted his life to telling those stories. 

As a young man, he was enchanted by life in his wife's hometown, in the heart of France's Armagnac region, where her family ran a small restaurant. His father-in-law introduced him to Armagnac, and his fascination with the French brandy tradition led him to discover Cognac and Calvados. To date, he has compiled hundreds of interviews with multi-generational grower-producers and published thousands of pages across several comprehensive books on the subject. To many, he is known simply as Armagnac Man.

In this week's episode, Skurnik's Spirits Portfolio Director Adam Schuman and his good friend Charles retrace their well-worn path from the Bas-Armagnac to the Grande Champagne region of Cognac, sharing anecdotes about the paysans and lessons about the spirits along the way. They discuss the history and methods that make a small cohort of French brandies among the most exquisite and—for those in the know—the most criminally undervalued distillates in the world.

Skurnik Wines & Spirits

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