Last tasting notes of 2021

At last, but not least

And here is the last tasting session of 2021! So let’s taste a few cognacs to celebrate!
cognacs to celebrate the end of 2021
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#8

GIBOIN L'ESSENTIEL TRES VIEUX BORDERIES 46,5%

84/100

Giboin L'Essentiel Hors d'Age tasting notes

Colour: Amber, gold lights. Irregular heavy tears. 

Nose: Spicy and floral notes. Strong hay scents. Just cooked bread. Great cereal shades. Nice overture on potpourri and jasmine. Nice sugariness on white melon. A bit austere even if there is a tad of freshness with more air. A little on exotic fruits (passion fruits) underlined by a vivid freshness on sandalwood. 

Palate: Sweet texture. Woody tones. Light fruitiness surrounded by various spices: caraway, Sichuan pepper, cardamom. Great mouth length and the ABV seems to be at the right high here. Reminds me a bit of the rustic of the Borderies 11 ans by Grosperrin. 

Last Notes: A tad more on tannins with more air. In fact, I think it hides a bit the potential richness of this Borderies. Great scents of tinned pears and elegant flowery shades by the way. But yes, too much tannins for me. 

Another interesting L’Essentiel bottling. Not my favorite but a very unique cognac for sure. 

#7

TIFFON TRES VIEILLE RESERVE G.C 40%

87/100

Tiffon Très Vieille Réserve Grande Champagne

Colour: Amber, gold lights. Medium regular tears. 

Nose: Leathery and woody scents at first. Candied citruses, especially candied cedar. Ample Bordeaux wine notes, a nice mix of tannic smells and stewed red berries. Nice touch of spiciness with bourbon vanilla. A taf of rancioted shades with mushroomy notes in the background. 

Palate: Great citruses notes in the beginning. Orange zest marmalade, still some cedar notes too. Delicious pastry aromas with the mouth length, mainly on plums tart and poached pear. A bit of acidity in the aftertaste. In ends on sesame seeds and licorice sweets. 

Last Notes: Amplified rancioted notes with more air. Buttery scents melted to dry undergrowth smells. Flowery shades with hints of potpourri. Still some great citruses notes with verbena notes in the background. Obvious raisins and prunes scents now that you find on the palate too. A tad of freshness in the aftertaste, something between rosemary and peppermint. Wood influence printed on the aftertaste, mainly on cedar wood and tannic notes. 

A tad too unbalanced in my personal opinion but a very elegant rancio. 

#6

TIFFON TRES VIEILLE RESERVE F.B 40%

86+/100

Tiffon Tres Vieille Reserve Fins Bois

Colour: Old gold, orange lights. Medium regular tears. 

Nose: Great balance between flowery and citruses notes. Fresh apricots, jasmine, tangerine juice. Musky and woody notes. Kirsch cherry. Cooked plums. Mature rancio on dusty wood and old leather scents. A tad of freshness in the background. 

Palate: Dry texture. Raisins and prunes. Fresh wave on eucalyptus in a second time. Roasted notes on cocoa and bitter chocolate. Great spiciness too. Candied citruses. Great balance between fruitiness and acidity. Definitive sherry cask notes, nutty and port wine aromas. It ends on shy licorice notes. 

Last Notes:Tannic scents with more air. Astringent tones that weren’t there before. Prunes again. Back on the palate, you find fruitiness and sugariness on candied citruses and vine peaches. Slightly spiced on anise, cardamom and black pepper. 

A lack of precision in my humble opinion. But it remains a very interesting Fins Bois with generous fruity tones.

#5

TIFFON TRES VIEUX SUPERIEUR 40%

87+/100

Tiffon Très Vieux Supérieur

Colour: Gold, orange lights. Regular medium tears. 

Nose: Heady and camphory overture. Strange banana stew and black olive tapenade mix. Obvious noble wood scents. Hints of tinned plums in the background. Rustic tones of farm cider and poire tapée. A tad less precise and less rancioted than the Tiffon Grande Champagne. 

Palate: Oily texture. Sweet aromas of bourbon vanilla and banana juice at first. Spicy shades, mainly on nutmeg powder. A little lack of mouth length to be honest. However, you find a nice aftertaste on red berries, especially on raspberry jelly. A tad of licorice sweet at the top of the palate too. 

Last Notes: More rancioted now. Wet undergrowth scents melted to woodworm smells. Ample cigar notes too. Wet grass scents keep you in the heart of a forest. Back on the palate, great of comeback of licorice aromas. Correct mouth length but you can expect more from this nose. it ends on spicy notes and woody tones. 

Great blend. Perfect shape of a 70yo cognac but there is an obvious lack of mouth length to reach a higher level.

 

#4

Paul Giraud TRES RARE 40%

88+/100

Paul Giraud Très Rare

Colour: Old gold, green lights. Irregular medium tears. 

Nose: Apple symphony at first. Caramelized apple, calvados-y notes, cider apple. Fruity entrance underlined by flowery notes, especially on rosewater and lavender. Great peppery tones on black pepper, Sichuan pepper and Cardamom. 

Palate: Sweet texture. Generous apple tart notes at first, quickly followed by delicate wood notes (mainly sandalwood). Delicate rancio on potpourri and cigarbox. Very Grande Champagne indeed. A little of acidity in the aftertaste. Correct mouth length with 40%. Light tobacco notes in the aftertaste. Not the most complex palate but very precise. 

Last Notes: Heady smells of plums liquor and leather cream. Proeminent but still delicate rancio on precious wood and strong orange blossom scents. Blackberry marmalade during its cooking (yes, very precise but it’s one of my Madeleine de Proust). Magnificent G.C nose. Elegant, fruity, flowery with well-balanced wood tones. Back on the palate you find back orchard and pastry aromas. Caramelized pears and apples underlined by new toasted notes, especially on coffee liquor. Kind of tiramisu with fruit pieces. Definitive coffee and speculoos shades in the aftertaste. Nice!

Frankly, there is only a little lack of fun to reach 89. Great G.C for sure. 

#3

François Voyer EXTRA CHRISTMAS 43%

88+/100

François Voyer Extra Christmas

Colour: Gold, orange lights. Regular heavy tears. 

Nose: Young melon smells at first. Buttery tones, especially on pastry scents. Great croissant and nougat notes. Young Layon wine with its typical sugariness. Flowery and mineral shades. Acacia honey. Chalky tones in the background. Obvious tinned pear scents with more air. Nice spicy notes on caraway and cinnamon. 

Palate: Acidulous texture on grenadine and blackcurrant syrup. Great mouth length. I love this palate. Exotic fruits, especially roasted pineapple aromas. Delicious and persistent nougat notes. Woody aftertaste, mainly on cedar wood. A tad darker on the aftertaste, on licorice syrup and pine resin. 

Last Notes: Great nose on red berries and potpourri now. Blackcurrant and blackberry juice mix. Cherry sweets too. Candied prunes. Back on the palate, you find vine peaches and various spicy notes. It ends on bitter chocolate, peppermint and cedar wood. 

A nice 30yo from Verrieres. Well-balanced and generous. A little lack of precision to reach another level. 

#2

François Peyrot Lot 59 44,20%

89+/100

François Peyrot Lot 59

Colour: Amber, brown lights. Heavy regular tears. 

Nose: Strong toasted notes at first. Spicy and chocolate tones. White pepper, bitter chocolate and wood shades on pinesap. It seems that this one needs some air. Vivid fresh notes on  mint and pinesap again. Very young melon notes too. Light fat notes on palm/colza oil. 

Palate: Sweet/oily texture. Prunes and plums at first. Prunes cake (and more precisely the famous far breton). Great mouth length. Definitive prunes and plums symphony followed by raisins and date aftertaste. Almond and marzipan at the top of the palate. Not the most precise ever but very generous. 

Last Notes: Light tobacco notes and ample Bordeaux wine scents with more air. Still some chocolate notes in the background. Still a great freshness on peppermint and pinesap. Caramelized nuts back on the palate. Nougat, chocolate sweets. Smooth spiciness on cardamom and cinnamon. It ends on bourbon vanilla and young banana aromas. 

Solid G.C too. Generous, plenty of aromatic shades. A little more complexity and it can reach 90. 

#1

JLP Le COGNAC d'Elisabeth L89 46,3%

90/100

Jean-Luc Pasquet le Cognac d'Elisabeth

Colour: Old gold, orange lights, regular heavy tears.

Nose:Tangerine/orange jam. Precious wood and cinnamon. Candied fruits. Marzipan/Hazelnut cream. Plums liquor. Heady perfume of orange blossom and oscuro cigar. 

Palate: Cocoa milk, violet sweets. Chocolate bomb. Immediate pleasure. Dry licorice, fresh leather, stables notes. Very impressive rancio. It seems that this Cognac d’Elisabeth has already reach its maturity, but you could also think that it can go for decades. In fact, you have to know that it was a love a first sip, when I tasted it straight from the cask a year ago (thanks Amy!). I remember that I was already stunned by its wild character and lovely rancioted notes.

Last Notes :Still very rustic P.C but wild as well, like a dog constantly barking at you. Candied cherries. Roasted chestnuts. Still very heady, this time on verbena infusion and mint tea. Yes, definitively a tad of freshness. The palate ends on pomegranate and marasquin cherry. Bang!

A true no-brainer from P.C cru. Immediately ready for tasting. Stunning maturity for a “young” PC. Probably a cask that spent some time in humid cellars…

So here is the end of 2021. A year made of delicious tasting sessions and great encounters in the cognac region. A year through which I received quite a lot of samples, so I want to thank those who allowed me to taste various kind of jewels. Thanks a lot. 

2022 will be full of cognac too. And I have a nice surprise that will pop up in mid-January. 

Stay tuned and stay well, 

Valentin 

 

Cognac Hors d'Age Top 3 tasting notes

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