Because the sense of smell is as important in the enjoyment of Armagnac or any other brandy as in the enjoyment of wine, it is important to learn precisely how to carrying out the sniffing process. With wine, it is perfectly appropriate to put the nose as far into the glass as possible (without, of course, actually dipping it into the wine), and then to inhale deeply.

With brandy, however, such an action is foolhardy. Because the alcohol content of brandy is so much higher than that of wine, inhaling too deeply and from too close does little more than catch the breath, making it difficult to talk for several seconds and bringing tears to the eyes. The proper way to sniff brandy is hold the glass in the palm of one hand, to pass the glass under the nose several times, and gently inhaling as the glass passes by. This allows one to sense the fruits, the oak and whatever other subtleties are contained in the brandy while avoiding the breath-taking properties of the alcohol.

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© Daniel Rogov