Only France, however, produces brandies as distinctive as Cognac and Armagnac. Yet, as superb as these two brandies are, they are as different from each other in character, background and taste as two distant relatives.

Cognac is smooth and elegant; Armagnac is earthy and mellow. Cognac has a silky richness; Armagnac has been called the "Velvet Flame." Armagnac has a forthright bouquet that has been likened to prunes, hazelnuts and peaches, with a fullness characterized as plummy. Cognac's bouquet has been described as a subtle perfume of fresh grapes and violets with an underlying buttery aroma, and an overtone reminiscent of nuts. So how can two supreme brandies made in the same country be so different?

To the French, the place of birth gives a product its distinctive character. Both Cognac and Armagnac were born in western France, but the similarity ends there. The grapes that make the wine that is distilled into Cognac come from chalky soil, while grapes for Armagnac are grown in sandy earth. Cognac's climate is maritime, misty and northern; Armagnac's is warmer, drier and more southern. Cognac is made in an old, short, onion-shaped copper pot still, while Armagnac is made in a tall, column-like continuous still. Cognac is aged in barrels made of Limousin oak; Armagnac is aged in Monlezun oak from Armagnac forests.

These factors make for great differences, but they don't make one better than the other. Whether you ask for Cognac or Armagnac at the end of a meal is a matter of choice and personal taste.