Tastes

An intense VSOP Force 53° expression from the House of Louis Royer in Jarnac is bottled at 53% ABV. It opens with notes of vanilla, lime zest & crushed grape; the palate has notes of dried fruits, sultanas, prunes, butter & oak; while the finish is long with notes of spicy, leather & lace. September 2017

An intense VSOP from The Louis Royer House of Cognac is located on the picturesque bank of the Charente River in Jarnac & has been since it was founded in 1853. It opens with notes of port, dried fruits, barley & beer, the palate has notes of plum, fresh baked apple, ripe peaches, orange zest, cinnamon, potpourri, licorice, leather muskiness & tobacco, while the finish long & rich with notes of apricot, rancio & a hint of oak. September 2017

A delicate blend of Grande & Petite Champagnes (60% is the former). This is what's known as a Fine Champagne. The cognac is aged from between 6 & 12 years, with most being around 8 years old. It was first blended by the eponymous Thomas Hine. It opens with notes of caramel, jasmine, oak & strong hints of vanilla; the palate has notes of dried fruit, fresh cream & toffee, full-bodied & as smooth as it gets; while the finish is long, smooth, dry, with notes of oak, smoky, ginger ale, barley & a hint of nutmeg. September 2017

A delicate, XO Cognac from the A.E. Dor house, made with a rich blend of Grande & Petit Champagne eaux-de-vie. It opens light & honeyed with notes of spring & summer flowers & vine canes; the palate has notes of licorice, fruit, mango & barley; while hits of spice, white flowers, summer berries & citrus fruit led to a long & complex finish. September 2017

A rich, XO Elegance expression, Camus use eaux-de-vie from all of Cognac's six crus to craft a luxurious, impressive brandy. It opens floral with notes of rich dark fruit; the palate has notes of nut & oak; while the finish is long with notes of vanilla sweetness & brandied cherries, with hints of grape, hazelnut & rye for complexity. September 2017

A rich, XO Premier Cru produced using grapes from the Grande Champagne region; a blend of over 40 different cognacs, aged for over a decade. It opens spicy & peppery with notes of grape, dried fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg & a gentle floral aroma (lavender & jasmine); the palate is full & supple with notes of Crème fresh, toffee, perfume & spice; while the finish is long & delicate with notes of fruit, oak & vanilla. September 2017

A rich, brandy from Bodegas Torres; founded in 1870 by Jaime Torres Vendrell as one of Spain’s premier wineries, but the family had been growing grapes in the area for more than one hundred years before that. the “30” refers to the average age of the brandies in this blend and “Jaime” is in honor of the founder. It opens with notes of grape, coconut, dried cherry & spice; while the body adds floral notes, fig & tobacco; that leads to a long & velvety finish with notes of vanilla, nuts & almond. January / May / November 2018

A rich, 10-year-old Armenian brandy from the Ararat brand. The Yerevan Brandy Company even has its own cooperage to create the barrels to age their rich, spicy brandies. It opens sweet & spicy with notes of exotic spice, vanilla, plum jam, toffee & a hint of potpourri; while a round & creamy, full bodied palate adds notes of sultanas, dried apricots, creamy vanilla & a hint of pear; that lead to a rich & spicy finish with notes of cinnamon & toasted oak. January 2018 / June 2018 / January 2019

A rich, 'VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac by Paul & his wife Denise in Cognac, France made with Ugni Blanc & a tiny fraction of Colombard grapes, all grown within the majestic family vineyards & aged in new & seasoned French barrique. It has an aromatic birth with notes of dried fruits, Cedar, white flowers, grapes, fig, vanilla & a hint of toast; while a rich life adds notes of pear, mango, raisins dusted with brown sugar, honey, caramelized apple; that leads to a long & spicy death with notes of rancio & blood orange. July 2019 / January 2021

An elegant, Brandy from Cognac, France made from 100% Ugni Blanc; aged in lightly toasted Limousin oak barrels from 2-12 years. It is named for the year in which the Hardy Distillery was founded. It has a delicate & floral birth with notes of cappuccino, vanilla & a hint of citrus zest; while an elegant life adds notes of café latte, orange marmalade & jasmine; that leads to an off-dry death of medium length. December 2019