The southern French region of Gascony evokes an agrarian idyll. Here the food is cooked in duck fat and the big industry is farming and fishing. This little gem hails from the Armagnac region, that special corner of the southwest of France and arguably the most important place on the planet for brandy production.

Up to the late 19th century, the members of the Roque family had carried on the tradition of distilling from father to son. Louis Roque, the third of his generation, decided in 1905 to become independent by settling in Souillac, in the site of an ancient convent.
 
Louis became the local specialist of plum brandy. He started to distil for his own business from plums supplied by local farmers. He rested his production in an oaks cask where the spirit aged slowly, under close supervision. In his multiple chains, located in different parts of town, the Roque family dedicated time to maturing and meticulous blending, while their home, right in the heart of Souillac, doubled as a shop. Louis soon became widely acknowledged as the highest standard in this sublime and undersung spirit category.