The Stinger now ships to AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, and WV—with more states coming soon!
Inspired by a love of his native Gascon traditions, Francis Darroze established Maison Darroze to highlight his most treasured finds from his many years delving into the cellars Bas-Armagnac. Today, the house is synonymous with the finest Armagnac traditions, working with 30 small distillers, often blending but sometimes bottling single-domaine expressions. The Grands Assemblages line is the house's calling card. These expressions are carefully blended from select barrels in the Darroze cellar after the requisite minimum aging. These are quintessential expressions of the heart and soul of Armagnac at the milestones of its evolution in the cellar, and we've secured incredible pricing on these three collectible bottlings.
"Each expression offers a textbook example of what you get when you take artisanal craftsmanship, the best aging regimen in the category, and artisanal blending standards. In short, pure Armagnac brilliance."
-Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer
In a recent comprehensive tasting of the Grands Assemlages ranging from 12 to 50 years in age, B-21 Spirits Buyer Andrew Kitz saw a clear progression of maturity and character that will fascinate and enthrall any true Armagnac fan. The 30 Year Old Grands Assemblages "straddles a fine line between its properly mature character and its residual youthful energy," while the 40 Year Old Grands Assemblages is "big, dark, and full of masculine complexity ... Classic aged Armagnac made for the smoking room." Finally, the 50 Year Old Grands Assemblages is "savory, earthy, and soulful ... It’s every bit as brooding and masculine as the 40 Year but with an extra layer of refinement from start to the long finish."
This is a tremendous but limited-time opportunity for savvy collectors to score each of these reference-point renditions at special pricing, each at the sharpest in the market.
Darroze’s 40 Year Old GA is always as advertised – big, dark, and full of masculine complexity. The aromatic profile is very deep throughout, with spicy red fruit, huge wood presence, and a slight industrial note to start. The highly complex, dark and brooding style shows virtually no high tones, instead putting forth charred yams, damp underbrush, pine straw, Christmas spice, mulled cider, varnish, and dried mango, with early industrial note becoming more obvious as petrol and axle grease. A flourish of praline reasserts the barrel influence with real flair. The palate’s texture is towering yet wonderfully balanced. Flavors of mulled orange and cider, Bing cherry, and cherry wood are complemented by great spice complexity in the form of cardamom, sandalwood, and sweet paprika, and the medium-long finish carries great grip, dominant spice, and clean, rocky minerality. Classic aged Armagnac made for the smoking room.
95 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Sep 2026)
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