Armagnac claims a longer history than Cognac, probably produced by the Moors in the 12th century, and certainly from the 15th century onwards. Isolated from efficient transport links, it remained very much a locally consumed product until the middle of the 18th century. Production contrasts significantly with the much more industrial methods employed in Cognac.

There remains a mood of experimentation in Armagnac: they freely use more fragrant grape varieties, along with a variety of distillation methods. It is slightly more rustic in style than Cognac, softer and rounder, with a fuller flavour on both nose and palate. The family-owned house of Nismes-Declou can trace its origins back to 1832. It produces Armagnacs of extraordinary intensity and finesse, allied with the capacity of ageing effortlessly for up to a century, and sometimes even longer.