Tasting Notes

How am I doing my tasting notes ?

1. I use the same set up for each tasting session. The same place (my living room), the same moment (between 5PM and 8PM) and the same environnement (No distraction sources as music or T.V, a little of fresh air and a good light).
2. My tasting sessions are made of 3, 4 or 5 cognacs maximum. More would be too much for my taste buds and my nose. I use a full bottle of water all along the tasting session, because it’s important to drink water too !
3. The choice of the cognacs for a tasting session is essential. As for other spirits like whisky or rum, you have to make a very wise set up to appreciate each product at its best. For example, it’s quite irrelevant to drink a cask strength cognac before another with a ABV of 40%. So I try to taste progressively and most of the time with a theme (100% Folle Blanche, only from one cru, from a same period, from a same product range…).
4. Cognac needs time. Drinking a cognac only few seconds after pouring it is a bit disrespectful : Keep in mind that the brandy you’re about to taste had spent (most of the time) few decades in a cask. It’s a matter of respect but it’s also a matter of sense : cognac needs air to reveal its whole complexity.
5. I aim to keep the same structure for each tasting notes. The aspect. The nose. The palate. The last notes. Sometimes the empty glass nose.
6. If I’m not able to taste (if I have a cough, if I haven’t enough time,…) : I do not taste. It’s as simple as that.  Moreover, I always check my nose and my palate with a standard V.S or V.S.O.P  that I know by heart, and if I have any problem with this first tasting, I postpone the session.
7. Producing a tasting notes is a work of honesty : I always describe what I feel and I never try to imagine some crazy aromas or scents to enhanced my tasting notes.
8. It’s all about pleasure. Cognac is a passion for me. So when I’m writing my tasting notes, it’s not a chore. And I strongly believe that makes a big difference. If you’re not in a good mood to taste a cognac, you can’t fully appreciate it.