Armagnac is a highly aromatic brandy from the Gascony region of South West France. Armagnac was France's first brandy and is said to date back more than 700 years – to the early 15th Century. If accurate, this makes Armagnac one of the oldest distilled spirits produced anywhere in Europe.
Despite its long history, Armagnac is often confused with (and compared with) its more famous cousin Cognac. On the surface the two are really very similar: they are both wine-based spirits ("eaux-de-vie de vin") from southwestern France, produced in essentially the same way and from similar grape varieties. But there are subtle, vital differences between the two – often the source of great regional pride.