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Residence Hundreds of tastings, all of the music, all of the rambligs and all of the enjoyable (hopefully!)
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Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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October 9, 2022
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A couple of cognacs and armagnacs
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We’re dwell from Whisky Dwell Paris, however we’re too busy indulging with associates as we’re positing this, this wee session was completed earlier than we went to the capital.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis (Malkovich, Depardieu, Irons) in L’Homme au Masque de Fer (1998)
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Château de Beaulon 12 yo ‘XO’ (40%, OB, Fins Bois, +/-2020)
The château itself is great, however identical to with châteaux in Bordeaux or Scottish distilleries (that is proper), you may by no means discover any relations between the status of the settings and the standard of the make. Some would add ‘fairly the alternative’ however that may be just a little provocative. Particularly in Scotland… proper… Color: gold. Nostril: mild, on finger biscuits and peach jam, plus golden raisins, with touches of blond tobacco and tender liquorice. No quibblings, that is recent and nice, if not completely characterful. Mouth: actually good, with emphasis on liquorice and violet sweets. Actually loads of violets, with out being too perfumy – in any respect. Slightly loads of heather honey too, mint honey, and simply extra tender liquorice. This actually works. End: medium, much more honeyed and liquoricy. The violets are again within the aftertaste, with even a sense of previous candy grenache. Feedback: yeah proper, proving me incorrect is straightforward. Beautiful château and beautiful younger cognac.
SGP:641 – 86 factors. |
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French Brandy 1993/2022 (47%, Michiel Wigman, Treasured Moments)
That is really cognac however because it was first shipped to the UK (in an early-landed means) it can’t bear the appellation anymore. No, nothing to do with Brexit. We have not received the label but, however after we do, we will replace. Color: deep amber. Nostril: luscious jams, that is what’s in there. Particularly figs in all there guises, pear (not that frequent in cognac) and litchees/rambutans. Whiffs of ultra-ripe oranges flying round, and even, if I could, and please excuse me… Campari! Hope we’ll stay associates, Mr Michiel W. ;-). Mouth: this one’s from the nation, it is just a little gritty, leafy, rustic, and clearly medicinal (cough syrup, camphor). It’s not fairly an typical model of previous cognac, however that is most likely an asset. As soon as once more, notes of overripe oranges too, cloves, and yep, bitters. End: medium, just a little resinous, with notes of previous woods and black tobacco within the aftertaste. Gauloise! Feedback: this one feels so French… Even when it was despatched overseas in its earliest days. Vive l’Europe.
SGP:461 – 88 factors. |
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De Montal 30 yo (50.4%, OB for Alambic Classique, Bas-armagnac, brut de fût, 147 bottles)
Made at Château de Rieutort within the Gers. It is mentioned their their three stills are named Athos, Porthos et Aramis (the Three Musketeers!) Brut de fût means pure cask power, not simply ‘greater power’ as may be seen elsewhere. Color: full amber. Nostril: some very conventional postprandial armagnac, with oak, raisins, chocolate and occasional. It is extremely old-school, with the wooden doing a big a part of the work. Definitely un-modern, so far as French brandies go. Mouth: I just like the palate ten occasions higher, even when it is nonetheless fairly oaky and ‘vieille-école’. Heavy liquorice, just a little varnish, espresso, black raisins, prunes, contact of pine resin and contact of menthol… Extremely-classic, actually. End: fairly lengthy. The liquorice and the piney wooden hold operating the present. Feedback: again to the Seventies so far as types go. Nearly armagnac for vintage retailers – effectively I do know my grandpas would have adored this one. I too prefer it reasonably so much.
SGP:451 – 85 factors. |
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Baron de Sigognac 1982 (47%, Outdated Grasp Spirits, Bas-armagnac, +/-2022)
This from 65% baco, 25% ugni blanc and 10% folle blanche. Harvested by hand and distilled in a 100 yr previous alambic. It was bottled for our associates in Oz, which I discover extraordinarily pleasing. So, again from Australia (trumpets please) … Color: deep amber. Nostril: the baron is fashionable! There’s this slight bourbony really feel (polished oak), truffles, some form of earthy fruitcake, figs and roses, which makes it fairly oriental too, then small perfumy smells, benzoin, extra rose petals, ylang-ylang… then cedar and pine woods, albeit in cheap measures… It’s actually very aromatic, but not heady. Fascinating to comply with, this armagnac by Guerlain (fairly, Guerlain do not ship your legal professionals!) Mouth: in the direction of the De Montal this time, with an oak that is maybe just a little dominant. Nonetheless superior however to be trustworthy, I consider they don’t fairly monitor their casks in addition to they do in cognac. Oak spices, cloves, cinnamon, black tea, peach skins… End: lengthy, with the identical spices plus maybe a spicy meatiness, in the direction of beef jerky. Maybe… Feedback: two armagnacs in a single. I fell in love with the nostril (Nineteen Eighties tasters might have mentioned it was female), whereas I discovered the palate just a little… say ‘Gascon’. That means old-school. Nonetheless high-echelon, globally.
SGP:561 – 87 factors. |
Baron de Lustrac 1972/2022 (43.4%, LMDW)
No extra particulars this far, will ammend once I get them. If anybody well-intentioned ever asks me concerning the ‘classic of the century’ so far as all spirits go, I am going to reply 1972. It is simply that I’ve no correct rationale behind that feeling. However who wants a rationale? Color: full gold. Nostril: completely recent, fruity and floral, just a little trans-spirit, with none apparent wooden, reasonably a Clynelishness that may lead us to beeswaxes, honeys, orange blossom and citrons. Luminous and intensely seductive. Mouth: splendid arrival, on ripe apples, the all-important quinces, some hay wine, and certainly citrons. It’s not essentially the most advanced previous armagnac ever, nevertheless it was extraordinarily effectively chiseled. Acacia honey and liquorice within the background, tiny herbs, maybe wild leek… End: medium to quick, dropping a little bit of steam maybe, however there may be some mint and a few liquorice. In any case, this can be a 50 years previous spirit. A bit of oak within the aftertaste. Feedback: simply great, solely getting just a little fragile in the direction of the end, which is completely regular.
SGP:551 – 88 factors.
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I might say we’ll have many extra (and older) French brandies subsequent week. Until I alter my thoughts…
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