Gascony's brandy, mostly distilled once in a column still to a lower strength than cognac, so more of the grape stays in — fuller, rougher-edged and often sold by vintage.
Small growers sell old vintages for much less than cognac of the same age. Bas-Armagnac is the most prized area.
Worth knowing
It fat-washes well with duck fat, the same way as butter in rye. And it's the classic soak for prunes: cover with armagnac and a little syrup, and leave them a few weeks.