Three old cognacs in a row. Here is Hors d’Age Session #1

Hors d'Age SESSION#1

venerable cognacs

#3

Michel Forgeron Hors d'Age 50%

Another one in Michel Forgeron’s range, this time with the Hors d’Age, made of 40-50 yo cognacs. 100% Ugni Blanc, 100% Grande Champagne. 50%.

Colour: Orange, gold lights. Irregular heavy tears.

Nose: Rustic and exotic beginning. This nose is full of pine resin and exotic fruits. Strong wood influence is carried by a strong ABV (50%). Fruity scents of dried plums surrounded by strong honey wax notes. Great overripe melon scents melted to pine needle notes. Full of raisins in the background.

Mouth: Sweet texture, a tad oily in the aftertaste.

Nice exotic fruit aromas, mainly litchi and rhubarb yogurt. A tad of Barbados rum in its DNA. Very tobacco-y in the aftertaste. Nice spiced notes of cloves and nutmeg powder. It ends on licorice sweets and liquid vanilla. Stunning mouth length by the way.

Last Notes: Nice fruity Gamay wine notes with more air. A tad flowery jasmine and potpourri. Still very exotic on coconut powder and pink grapefruit juice. Hints of pear liquor too. You also get spicier and earthier notes of Sichuan pepper and dried bay leaves. Wee freshness of peppermint. Back on the palate, you get a nice mix of nougat and maracuja notes. Confirming nose perception, it’s spicier now, and you get great gingerbread and Cayenne pepper notes. It ends on overripe peaches and sandalwood notes.

Beautiful 40/50yo G.C. Well balanced with a lot of personality. Maybe a bit less wood influence could help this Michel Forgeron Hors d’Age to reach 90.

89/100

#2

André Petit Hors d'Age 40%

The last time I reviewed a cognac from André Petit, it was during my first Interstellar session, and that wasn’t a joke at all. Today I’m reviewing the Hors d’Age, a noble assemblage of 1955, 1958, and 1962 made of Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. This is a 60yo+ multi-cru blend slightly reduced at 40%.

Colour: Very dark amber, old gold lights. Regular medium tears.

Nose: Very exotic at first. A gentle mix of banana stew and cocoa powder scents. Spiced and tea-ish tones on verbena and anise, immediately followed by strong menthol notes. Nice rancio on blackberry juice and licorice. Heady smells of bourbon vanilla and orange blossom. Light flowery shades on rosewater. A tad of pastry notes, mainly on roasted sesame seeds and vanilla flan.

Mouth: Oily texture. Full of exotic fruits with mango and watermelon juice. Nice acidulous fruity notes on raspberry stew. Full of roasted notes too, mainly on ristretto and dark chocolate. Great spiced aromas on cardamom and ginger. I have to admit that I miss a bit of previously perceived menthol notes. Massive bitter chocolate aftertaste.

Last Notes: Still on tea-ish tones, this time underlined by great herbal notes (parsley and fresh rosemary). Another wave of strong coffee scents. You also find light salted notes on green olives. But it owns distinct old PC tones, with very acidulous strawberry and blackberry smells (the same acidulous side you get with berlingot sweets). Also a great patine on honey wax, a bit like in the Andre Petit L14. Back on the palate, you get lingering cocoa notes again. It remains a tad fruity on cherry liquor. Great licorice syrup aromas too. It ends on roasted notes of cold coffee and burnt wood.

A true work of assemblage. Very refined cognac, with various shades, but in my humble opinion, there’s a lack of body/structure to pretend to go further than 90.

89+/100

#1

VAllein Tercinier Hors d'Age 42%

Yes, I can hear you complaining “but he has already done a review of this one”. Yes. But it remains a milestone in my cognac apprenticeship, and furthermore, it’s still one of my favorite assemblages among those I’ve ever tasted. Finally, I made this review two years ago, so after a few more cognacs tasted, it’s time to deal again with this VT Hors d’Age.

Colour: Dark amber, orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.

Nose: Full of tropical fruits at first: maracuja, mango, pineapple. Massive herbal notes on freshly cut basil and green Chartreuse are underlined by strong fresh scents of mint leaves and eucalyptus. Nice peppery notes surrounded by overripe banana smells.

Mouth: Oily texture. Wild rancio on overripe melon and mango. Infinite mouth length on maraschino cherry, and mango juice. Full of green olive tapenade aromas and genepi notes. Magnificent. It can’t stop dancing on your palate. Apricot stew, acacia honey, toffee. Smooth notes of tiramisu and cinnamon.

Last Notes: Acacia honey and rhubarb stew scents with more air. Still some maracuja notes. Heady verbena infusion notes too. Nice mix of dried figs and licorice sweets. A tad of hot chocolate smells. There are still hints of banana stew. Back on the palate, you find a pleasant recipe made of white melon juice, strawberry tart, and licorice syrup. It’s nicely underlined by pinesap and eucalyptus notes. A little leathery in the aftertaste. It ends on menthol and black olives tapenade.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I know why I fell in love with cognac 5 years ago. Everything is here. Perfect work of assemblage, incredible evolution through the tasting (even after one hour in your glass), relevant ABV, wild rancio. Yes, it’s still a solid 90+.