Right here is our well timed session with cognac from totally different bottlers. We’ll return to the Nineteen Thirties and the youngest element is nicely over 40 years of age.
We kick issues off with two releases from Mauxion, bottled for Ardour for Whisky.
Cognac Mauxion 1960 – Fins Bois (42%, OB for Ardour for Whisky 2024, 78 btl.)
Nostril: loads of fruits, like stewed peaches, raisins and oranges. Orange blossom honey. Turns into extra floral after some time, with mild leathery notes, beeswax and polished furnishings. Then delicate caramel and cinnamon within the background.
Mouth: comparable hints of peach, plum and citrus. Rapidly the minty facet takes over, together with closely steeped fruit tea. Dried herbs, with a touch of white pepper. Clove and liquorice results in a barely astringent woody edge. Gentle hints of tropical fruits within the aftertaste.
End: not too lengthy (low ABV) with extra natural tea and tobacco, in addition to mild tannins. Dried fruit within the distance.
After a stunning nostril this Mauxion turns into just a little oak-driven on the palate. It jogs my memory of the Lot 31 Borderies in that sense. Nonetheless obtainable from Ardour for Whisky.
Cognac Mauxion Lot 36 – Borderies (43,2%, OB for Ardour for Whisky, 42 btl.)
Nostril: extra expressive, though the ABV isn’t that a lot greater. Peaches and pears, with leathery notes and a light-weight whiff of copper polish. Delicate figs provides weight. This evolves in the direction of camphory notes, minty freshness and natural honey. Elegant hints of rancio.
Mouth: good fruity sourness (all the time an indication of freshness) – oranges, bergamot, peach. Lovely verbena, floral honey and spearmint. Then delicate tobacco leaves and hints of oak spice. Only a dollop of caramel within the background.
End: lengthy and barely drying, with extra citrus, together with herbs and cloves, in addition to superbly polished oak.
Really glorious, and Borderies, thoughts you! Beautiful pre-WWII cognac, which had eighty years within the cask, by the way in which, after which some additional ageing in demijohns. Bought out… Rating: 92/100
Cognac Vaudon Lot 75 / 78 / 80 – Fins Bois (48,1%, Grape of the Artwork 2024, 298 btl.)
Nostril: a special form of woodiness, extra oriental with sandalwood and cigar packing containers. Cinnamon, hints of walnuts, good beeswax. Then wildflowers, stewed pears, orange oils and mirabelles. Mint and jasmine ultimately.
Mouth: wealthy and minty, shortly brightened up by Earl Gray, orange peels and bitter plums. Trace of apricots. Then extra jasmine, natural oil and whiffs of violets. Just a bit liquorice root ultimately.
End: lengthy, with a bit extra woody notes, together with caramelized notes, figs and oranges.
One + one + one is 4, you understand. I like the marginally oriental notes on this cognac from Vaudon, together with the fruits and floral notes. The whole lot is very well balanced. Rating: 91/100
The subsequent one is an ‘assemblage’ of various vintages: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 et 1962. It comes from JL Pasquet and it was bottled for Ws Spirits Assortment.
Cognac JL Pasquet Lot 57-62 – Grande Champagne (49,9%, Ws Spirits Assortment 2024)
Nostril: a pleasant whiff of diesel at first, with a touch of batik wax and unique wooden oil. Then a juicy fruitiness grows stronger, on apricot, orange peels and orange blossom. Additionally pollen and frivolously roasted nuts within the background. Advanced however not a fruit bomb thus far.
Mouth: nonetheless extra on the oily facet, which is admittedly attention-grabbing. Beeswax, pine oil, resinous hints and walnuts. This strikes in the direction of earthy notes, peppermint and natural tea, even chestnuts. Tangerine peels and spiced honey beneath.
End: fairly lengthy, nonetheless natural, with a pinch of salt, verbena, clove and a agency mineral facet.
A somewhat unusual cognac – though you’ll acknowledge the profile should you’ve had the comparable launch from Swell de Spirits. Recent however somewhat un-fruity cognac for skilled palates. Rating: 89/100
We proceed with Vallein Tercinier. It’s a single cask bottling however I seen Valinch & Mallet additionally selected this as their first ever cognac bottling. Identical ABV, which can be coincidental, or just a break up cask?
Cognac Vallein Tercinier Lot 74 – Fins Bois (50,9%, OB for Wealth Options, Concord & The Antelope 2024)
Nostril: it’s considered one of these heady and aromatic noses that present a faint soapiness. Floral notes, some metallic hints, voilet essence or lavender. Beneath there are greengages, melons and peaches, with bergamot. Then minty notes, rose pepper and pine sap, in addition to some mild linseed oil.
Mouth: nonetheless fairly floral, but in addition very fruity. There’s apricot, plum, drops of orange liqueur and tangerine. Grapefruit peels too. Then natural notes, aniseed and eucalyptus come out. Lemon tree oil. Some (very frivolously bitter) walnuts and mint ultimately, towards a backdrop of aromatic wooden and delicate pepper.
End: fairly lengthy, with hints of liquorice, citrus zest and aniseed.
Fairly an genuine Fins Bois, with these floral notes and light-weight fruitiness. Maybe a bit overdone / over-aged for my style. Trying again on the six VT bottlings I’ve reviewed previously two years, solely two managed to interrupt the 90 factors barrier. That’s lower than we anticipated. Rating: 88/100
Cognac JL Pasquet Lot 70 – Grande Champagne (52,1%, Maltbarn 2024)
Nostril: a lot richer and extra fragrant than the Lot 57-62. Nice rancio and polished oak up entrance. Then raisins, juicy plums and tangerines, in addition to candy grape and apple pie. Beeswax, mint and almonds within the distance. Actually full of life.
Mouth: actually fruity once more (tangerine, apricot, bitter grape) though there’s a bit extra gritty oak and fairly some drying spice beneath. Tannins, some tobacco leaves and bergamot, with clove and candied ginger. Chestnut once more. Turning into much less fruity and extra oily in the direction of the tip.
End: fairly lengthy, with citrus oils, tart berries and mildly tannic and polished wooden.
Wonderful nostril right here, with a number of factors misplaced on the palate as a result of barely tannic footprint. I’m a fan although – it’s most likely due to the marginally extra energetic wooden that this turned out so luscious. Rating: 90/100
