Review

Tomatin 14 Year Old Port Casks

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Tomatin 14 Year Old Port Casks
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$70-$80
Website
Tomatin 14 Year Old Port Casks Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

Cask Type: Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Port casks

The Tomatin 14 Year Old is soft, smooth and sweet, benefiting from its time spent in Tawny Port casks which previously held port for around 50 years. Rich but balanced aromas of red berries, sweet honey and rich toffee develop into aspects of light fruits and nuts on the palate and an abiding finish of smooth fruit salad.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity with banana nut bread, berries, toffee, honeysuckle, heather and port.
Palate:  Loads of fruit with berries, apricots, cherries, freshly cracked white pepper, oak, touch of peat with a mineral note.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with pepper and nectarines.
Comments:  Fruity but with a bit of a sharp edge. I really dig the nose, but the palate wasn’t quite as complex. Nothing off-putting, but nothing particularly special either..

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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PM Spirits Single Cask XO Grande Champagne Cognac

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

PM Spirits Single Cask XO Grande Champagne Cognac

42.6% ABV
$110-$135
Website
PM Spirits Single Cask XO Grande Champagne Cognac

What the Producer Says

(Below notes are from K&L Wine’s website)
This single barrel of eau-de-vie was acquired by Nicolas Palazzi over 10 years ago. It was already at least 10 years of age at the time with some eau-de-vie slightly older, around 15 years old, all distilled at a renowned single estate. With the help of the incredibly knowledgeable Jean-Noel Pelletan, a local artisanal cooper, Nicolas spent the next ten years researching age old techniques to bring the most out of this cask. Pelletan has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things cognac and a vast collection of historic technical manuscripts. It’s the secrets that were held in those books and his mind that brought this special cognac into existence. Bottled without additives or chill filtration of any kind at a cask strength of 42.6% alc by vol. Bottled in July 2020 at between 20 and 25 years of age.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich perfume, floral, fruity with apricots, melon, kiwi, apples, bit of caramel, oak and subtle spices.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, fruitcake with cherries, apricots, apple, bit of pepper spice, clove, a note of molasses, and a hint of mint.
Finish:  Long and dry with oak and honey.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments:  Insanely intense flavor and nose for 42.6%! Not really a cognac drinker let along afficiando, but I know what I like – and I liked this. A lot. I didn’t have the prior 3 cognacs to try side-by-side with this, but of the others I sampled this spring, this was my favorite by such a wide margin, that’s inconsequential.

Rating: Must Try

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Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège Cognac

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Hennessy V.S.O.P Cognac

40% ABV
$50
Website
Hennessy Privilege VSOP Cognac

What the Producer Says

Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège is a well balanced cognac, the expression of 200 years of Hennessy craft. The fruit of nature’s uncertainties, this unique blend has tamed the elements to embody the original concept of cognac. Each sip reveals new facets of its personality.

The savoir-faire of the Maison of Hennessy is fully expressed in this balanced cognac: the selection of eaux-de-vie, aging and assemblage. A cognac of remarkable consistency and vitality, Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège conveys all of the savoir-faire of the Hennessy master blenders who have ensured the continued success of this harmonious assemblage for 200 years.

A ROYAL HERITAGE
The name V.S.O.P. Privilège originates from a special order placed by the future King George IV of England. He requested a “Very Superior Old Pale” from the House of Hennessy, the first shipment of which was made in 1818.

INTO THE WOODS
The oak wood used for aging V.S.O.P. Privilège comes from the Limousin forest in France. It must first dry outside for at least three years before being made ito a barrel.

TASTING

COLOR: Flamboyant mahogany with light tones.
NOSE: Releases very mature notes, evoking the aroma of fresh fruit coupled with a sensation of suppleness that settles in to underscore the harmony of this cognac.
PALATE: The sensation of full body deepens with the flavors of juicy fruits, vanilla, spices and mild tobacco also provided by the vigor of the younger eaux-de-vie.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich, floral and fruity with currants, blackberries, soft oak, tropical fruit notes of pineapple and mango.
Palate: Softer with fruit, apples, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, plums and a bit of pepper spice.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with cinnamon and plums.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments: This was noticeably darker in the glass than the Remy Martin V.S.O.P., and has a nice richness and depth of spice. Of the three cognacs I sampled, this was my favorite (although I can’t say I’ve been converted from whisk(e)y!)  An enjoyable pour, and was excellent in a Vieux Carré. And was originally the last cognac sample I had, until another founds its way in as I was typing up my notes – so have one more to go!

Rating: Stands Out

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Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac

40% ABV
$35-50
Website
Remy Martin VSOP Cognac

What the Producer Says

VERSATILE / ELEGANT / ICONIC
The icon: generous and audacious

Rémy Martin VSOP embodies the perfect harmony of powerful and elegant aromas. It is the symbol of the Cellar Master’s art of blending.

Rémy Martin VSOP is composed of eaux-de-vie coming exclusively from the highest-quality vineyards of Cognac, the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. Such eaux-de-vie offer an exceptional ageing potential and are known as Cognac Fine Champagne.

In 1927, Rémy Martin’s Cellar Master André Renaud created the very first VSOP Fine Champagne—a truly visionary and audacious decision. This prestigious appellation would be officially recognized 11 years later as an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée – a specific growing area protected by French law).

In 2010, Rémy Martin VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac won a gold medal at the Spirits Business Cognac Masters (UK).

FRUITINESS: 4/5 | Aromas coming from the still wine’s fermentation, distillation on the lees and ageing

SMOOTHNESS: 3/5 | Sensation on the mouth giving mellowness, balance and perfect harmony

OPULENCE: 3/5 | Defines the intensity of richness in the cognac’s aromas.

LENGTH: 3/5 | The length of time for which the tastes are expressed after a sip

CHARACTER
NOSE: Dominant notes of vanilla thanks to longer ageing in French Limousin oak barrels, followed by ripe apricot, baked apple, and an elegant floral note.
TASTE: A perfect harmony between the firm character of ripe fruit and subtle notes of liquorice, offering a great complexity of elegant and powerful aromas.
BODY: Well-balanced, structured, and multi-layered, it combines the roundness of ripe fruit with a silky texture.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral, fruity with plums edging towards citrus, tropical candied pineapple.
Palate:  Fruit, spiced apples and pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, a hint of anise.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with dark berries.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments:  More rich and more spice than the Courvoisier V.S., I definitely liked this better – although not my favorite of the three.

Rating: Stands Out

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Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

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Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

40% ABV
$26
Website
Courvoisier VS Cognac

What the Producer Says

THE BLEND
A youthful and lively blend of cognac, delivering a spectrum of sensations.
Courvoisier® VS Cognac is a blend of several crus aged between three and seven years (four to eight for Russia), composed principally of Fins Bois with a balancing hand of Petite Champagne.

TASTING NOTES:  The fusion of younger and older cognacs gives Courvoisier® VS a fruity, delicate taste and a bouquet filled with ripe fruit and spring flowers.

Ripe Fruits | The chalky soil in Fins Bois delivers a hint of ripened fruits that is its signature aroma.

Spring Flowers | Inhale deeply for the bouquet of spring flowers, which is a hallmark of grapes harvested at their peak from the Fins Bois crus.

Fresh Oakiness | The rich, fresh oak bouquet is controlled throughout the aging process to make sure it doesn’t dominate the young cognac.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Floral, grapey, honey suckle, fruity with apples and pears.
Palate:  Sweet, floral and fruity with apples and pears, hint of cinnamon, vanilla, and white wine.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with apple.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Comments:  A crisp and fruity dram. Nothing offensive or off-putting, although not especially interesting either (at least to me). This was the first of three Cognacs I sampled side by side, and spoiler alert – was my least favorite.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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