Armagnac is the oldest alcohol still distilled today.

The Armagnac eau-de-vie was distilled at least 200 years before the first Cognac eaux-de-vie. Cognac therefore emulated Armagnac, which is why these two eaux-de-vie have few differences; their region of origin, certain grape varieties and of course their method of distillation.

Cognac is located north of Bordeaux not far from the shores of the Atlantic ocean while Armagnac is located south-east of Bordeaux in the heart of Gascony between the Garonne river and the Pyrénées mountains. The vast majority of Cognac comes from the traditional variety called Ugni blanc, present in 6 different crus: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires. Armagnac can be produced with 10 authorized grape varieties but only 4 of them, Ugni-blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle blanche, represent the vast majority of production on 3 different terroirs: Haut-Armagnac, Bas-Armagnac and Armagnac-Ténarèze.

In Armagnac as in Cognac, distillation is highly regulated and meets precise specifications defined by the Controlled Designation of Origin (AOC). Distillation is carried out during the winter, no later than March 31st of the year following the harvest; sometimes this date is changed by decree. The wine is often distilled on location, sometimes with the help of an itinerant master distiller (or "bouilleur de cru ambulant") who goes from cellar to cellar to distill the wine of the growers.

Armagnac and Cognac are obtained with two very specific types of stills: the Armagnac continuous still and the Charentais discontinuous still.

For Armagnac, it is a pure copper device, which was patented in 1818 by Sieur Tuillière, under the reign of King Louis XVIII, and adapted, modified, and improved by local distillers. It contributes to the uniqueness of Armagnac. The wine constantly feeds the still from the bottom of the cooler. It is led towards the column where it descends from plate to plate to the boiler. The strong heat produced by the hearth causes the wine vapors to rise against the current and "bubble" in the wine at the level of each plate. The wine vapors are enriched with alcohol and aromatic substances and then are condensed and cooled in the coil. When it comes out of the still, the brandy is colorless. Its alcoholic strength can vary, depending on the distillers and producers, between 52 and 60% vol. At this stage, the Armagnac is still full of vigor, and is already of great aromatic richness: very fruity (plum, grape) and often floral (vine or lime blossom). Aging in wood will give it additional complexity and softness.

Cognac is distilled twice, carried out in two successive “chauffes”. When the distillate comes out, we are in the first “chauffe”. It gives a very perfumed eau-de-vie. It is the “brouillis”, the result of the first distillation which is between 28 and 32% vol.  Then “la tête” and “la queue” are removed, meaning the beginning and the end of the distillation, to keep only “le coeur”. This “coeur” is then distilled a second time in the same apparatus. At the end of the second distillation, the eau-de-vie at 72% vol. will be put in barrels for many years. This process tends to "burn" the natural organic matter, making the final product less aromatically complex and often lighter in the mouth.