Distilled: May 1997 Bottled: October 2016 Cask Type: Re-Charred Sherry No. of Bottles: 438 An exclusive bottling for Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich and intense, dark fruit, stewed plums, raisins, hint of pineapple, cloves, nutmeg, earthy funk, pencil eraser and sea air. Palate: Thick and chewy, dark fruits, black currants, raisins, dates, cloves, nutmeg, earthy/salty note and pepper spice. Finish: Moderately long, peppery with sea air and fruit. Comments: Classic Springbank. Intense flavor with a magnificent balance of sweet, savory and earthy – just spectacular (if you like that sorta thing). Water brightens the dram up with the fruit taking more of a citrus slant and still maintaining the lovely mouthfeel. It feels pricey to me, except that seems to apply to damn near everything 18 or more years old these days – so accepting the fact I’m likely just becoming a cheap curmudgeon. I just can’t imagine buying this, and being disappointed after the fact.
60.5% ABV (for sample provided; varies by barrel) $90 Website We would like to thank Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and The Brand Guild for sending us a sample to review.
What the Distillery Says
Bottled at cask strength, this Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is what other ryes work hard to grow up to be. Tennessee does a lot of things well; growing rye is not one of them. So, we sought out the best from other states. Each of our inaugural barrels hails from New York, where they aged in new American oak for a minimum of four years after a short stint in B.C., where they were born.
These barrels began as a lofty experiment in 2017. Was it possible to create an ultra-smooth whiskey, with flavor galore, made from 100% rye? That was the question. The answer took a while but was well worth the wait: hell yeah.
What Gary Says
Nose: Rye toast, corn flakes, salted caramel, orange honey, cinnamon and a hint of anise. Palate: Caramel, orange bitters, bursting with rye spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and lemongrass. Finish: Moderately long, drying with chili spice and citrus. Comments: I tried this side by side against the Uncle Nearest Uncut/Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey, which probably isn’t a fair comparison. The Uncut/Unfiltered is $60 more, but is the same mashbill, and the descriptions of treatment are similar (although both are non-age stated, and I suspect that is where the difference lies – besides this offering being a single barrel). While there is similarity between the two, I preferred the other. I found this to be a bit hot, thinner, and likely a bit younger (although not “young”). Now as a single barrel, maybe the one I tried is an outlier. It does take water well, and thickened up nicely. This is a very spicy and hot rye – which I think makes for a great cocktail.
We think this is the best Cognac we have ever worked with. We know, we know – of course we think it’s good, it’s our product. But we’re serious…this Cognac is the epitome of everything PM Spirits is about.
Comprised of eaux de vie from one single cask plus a few assorted demijohns acquired by Nicolas over the years, these are the remains of the original plan for PM Spirits – an independent bottler of rare Cognacs. It was a romantic idea full of travels between France and the US, sourcing incredible Cognac, and bottling small lots by hand. It wasn’t practical, however, and PM Spirits eventually evolved into what it is today.
Yves Pelletan started to work full time as a cooper at age 14, learned the ropes of this demanding job and perfected his skills until he felt he was ready to open his own shop in the heart of Grande Champagne in 1973. His son, Jean-Noel, joined the family business in 2002. The work of this father and son team quickly became extremely sought-after in the Cognac region and beyond as they took the art of cooperage to the next level, prioritizing extreme quality over quantity.
We have bottled this as an homage to Yves and Jean-Noel Pelletan, two of only a handful of people to hold the title of Maitres Artisans Tonneliers, the apex of the cooperage profession. Yves and Jean-Noel have been instrumental to my understanding of Cognac and in making the liquid in this bottle taste as awesome as it does
A blend of Cognacs distilled between 1925 and 1965 Bottled in July 2020 • Cask Strength • 43.8% ABV 870 Bottles • No Additives • No Filtration
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Grapes, fruitcake, vanilla, leather, allspice, dark fruit, Christmas spices and a bit of molasses. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sharpens a tad with fruit salad, tart tangerines, raisins, cherries, pepper spice and cinnamon. Finish: Long, drying with slightly bitter fruit notes. Comments: I tasted this amongst a lineup of various brandies and cognacs, and this was by far my favorite. In fact when I first tried it (and didn’t know any of the details about this marvelous spirit), I thought this might replace Paulet XO as my ‘go to’ – but that won’t be the case. I’m sure that I haven’t appreciated this as much as a true Cognac aficionado would have. It does share some similarities with really old whisk(e)y, notes of leather on the nose, and that creamy mouthfeel. A really lovely dram!
The house of Paulet was established in 1848 on an estate that has been producing Cognac as early as 1761. It is one of the iconic names in the Cognac region renowned for its quality, know how and respect for craftsmanship and tradition.
What the Retailer* Says
France- This Grand Champagne XO comes from wines issued from the first cru (growth) of the Cognac region. The distillate has a fresh minerality with pear and white flower notes, that will be enhanced during the aging in Limousin oak barrels. 2018 San Francisco Spirits Gold Medal Winner.
* I couldn’t find a website for the producer, so information is from the bottle itself and the retailer
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Grapes, kiwi, tangerines, peaches, vanilla, subtle rose petals and a hint of something savory (maybe fennel?). Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with fruit salad, kiwi, pears, peaches, stewed apples, hint of cinnamon and rice pudding. Finish: Moderately long, damp with cinnamon dusted apples. Comments: I really like this, and in fact this is my go-to Cognac when making a Vieux Carré. I started out using a VS Cognac for that cocktail, but after experiencing an XO decided to give this one a shot, and wasn’t disappointed. Although if you have a Cognac in the same price range that you think does a superior job in that cocktail, please drop me a line and let me know!
Germain-Robin XO is an icon of California Brandy. Distilled exclusively in Pruhlo Charentais Pot Stills and aged in Limousin Oak Barrels, XO highlights the unique flavor and characteristics of California Pinot Noir grapes.
DISTILLER’S NOTES: The high-quality California wine grapes in Germain-Robin XO showcase unique flavors and layered textures. The signature grape, Pinot Noir, provides a dark cherry character and a rich silky mouthfeel. Colombard distillate adds a fresh apple character while Sémillon provides richness with peach and apricot notes. The balance of both fruit and oak flavors is unique to Germain-Robin XO. The vanilla and toast flavors from the French oak complement the fruit which creates layers of complexity that only can be found from sourcing great fruit. The fermentation and distillation is driven with the goal of emphasizing fruit and mouthfeel and then paired with aging in select Limousin Oak Barrels. Texturally, the brandy is extremely smooth and has an incredibly long finish.
SIGNATURE FLAVORS: Cherry, Vanilla, Oak
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Brandy (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Grapes, apples, sherried fruit, sandalwood incense, floral, hint of green tea with subtle mulling spices. Palate: Bright, floral with apples, cherries, and pepper spice (tad astringent). Finish: Short to moderate in length, dry with unsweetened grape juice and apples. Comments: I haven’t had a lot of brandy, but I enjoyed this one. The nose is delightful and complex, although the palate left me wanting what the nose was advertising. Seemed like the nuance and subtle notes from the nose just got lost along the way to my tongue! This isn’t my area of expertise, so that may be typical – and as such, not knocking down my rating.
