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Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac
Distiller Score 91
Find a big, complex nose, with candied fruits, along with oak and a light spiciness, as well as dark chocolate and a deep nuttiness. The palate is smooth and rich, big with raisins and red fruits before moving into oak and faint baking spices which provide a bit of depth. Find almonds and marzipan on a warming finish, along with cinnamon and light pepper.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Navazos-Palazzi Montilla Old Brandy Single Cask (Bottled August 2013)
Distiller Score 98
Upon first glance, you know you're not in Kansas anymore. The color is as dark as a cup of coffee. You are then bombarded by an array of aromas ranging from green beans, coffee, chocolate-covered raisins, and old leather. There’s a touch of gasoline found as well. The palate continues much of the same as the aroma with an emphasis on sweet, rich flavors, dried fruits, and nuts. This brandy is rustic and dirty but in the most alluring way possible and the acidity is shockingly fresh and balanced, particularly for a brandy of this age. If you can find a bottle, do yourself a favor and treat yourself.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Delamain Vesper XO Grande Champagne Cognac
Distiller Score 92
The nose is ripe with dried fruit, ripe banana, baking spices and forest floor. On the palate it's rich almost to the point of being chewy and is fairly tannic. The flavors consist of maple, candy apple, lemon peel, fresh figs and burnt sugar. An intense but fairly approachable XO cognac with all of the density and depth you would expect.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Baron Gaston Legrand Bas Armagnac 1984
Distiller Score 96
Roasted pecan and hazelnut, tarte tatin, lemon peel, herbs, and cigar-locker notes appear on the bouquet. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy with flavors of hazelnut, marzipan, oak, dried apples, cedar, and tea spices to complement clover honey, and orange blossom notes. The finish is long and satisfying, and bring cinnamon, a bit of cedar, and some more cigar notes.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Lark Riviere du Nord XO
Distiller Score 90
The brandy is reminiscent of early morning bushland dew, with slight eucalyptus and bush wood aromas rising through softly. Notes of wood spice and licorice spill from the glass with the spices intensifying to a soft fudge. On the palate, the brandy turns fresh and spicy, and the fudge has turns to sugared sweetness hiding behind a curtain of soft fruits. If agitated, the wood builds to a crescendo before settling back down into a leather back smoking chair. The finish is long and every now and then the tongue will buzz as a new spices like cardamom, vanilla pods, cinnamon or saffron run across the top before settling down to rest.
Reviewed by Marcus Parmenter
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Paul Beau Hors d'Âge Grande Champagne Cognac
Distiller Score 93
The house style at Paul Beau is deep with a broad, meaty profile. The difference between the big house entries in this age category is stark: you will not find any of the soft, vanilla character common in big houses here, but rather a heady combination of toasted walnut, cherry wood, and savory rancio. This would qualify as an XO - the youngest brandies are 30 years old, but as is standard at Paul Beau it has been declassified as a Hors D'Age. The flavors have a beautiful linear sense started a powerful, lush impact and continuing into a long, savory finish.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Delamain Pale & Dry XO Cognac
Distiller Score 90
Orange-spiced tea, fresh-cut apples, and juicy cherries are first to appear on the nose though the intensity of the aromas doesn't punch you in the face. The palate is similar, but has an integrated spice factor that matches the level of the fruit. As the name states, the finish is dry but not overtly tannic and tight. There's a finesse to the cognac and for its age, has a solid length to the finish.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Roger Groult Calvados 12 Year
Distiller Score 93
A bright copper-orange hue, this Roger Groult Calvados 12 Year combines freshness and maturity, with aromas of baked apple, of course, but also pears, white flowers and baking spices including nutmeg and allspice. There’s a brisk, spicy opening that becomes honeyed, rich and citrusy as it fills the mouth. At the finish there’s a mouth-watering tang with subtle sweetness and richness and a sophistication worthy of an older marque.
Reviewed by Jack Robertiello
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Reisetbauer Carrot Eau-de-Vie
Distiller Score 96
Raw carrots, roasted carrots, steamed carrots--all of these aromas and tastes come to mind upon encountering this spirit. You'll find this "carrot-ness" rounded out by fennel greens, hops, and burnt walnuts. The palate is a bit more decadent with flavors of caramel, clotted cream, vanilla, and deep-roasted carrot drizzled with honey and hazelnuts (though, of course, the spirit is not sweet). This is a truly fascinating product that is worth your attention.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Cognac Park XO Traditional Reserve
Distiller Score 92
Park Cognac's XO is deep and complex, leading with notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut, and dark plums. Vanilla, oak, and hazelnut persist on a long-lasting finish. It's a decadent, rich cognac made for savoring slowly.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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Clear Creek Douglas Fir Brandy
Distiller Score 90
Because a maceration is done after distillation, expect to see a little sediment in the bottle. As advertised, the aroma of Clear Creek Douglas Fir Brandy is full of pine and has you thinking of a winter wonderland. The fruit in the brandy is a nice foil to help balance the herbal and woody notes. There's a nice mint taste to the finish. If you are a gin or absinthe drinker, make sure to give this a try. Bottled at 94 proof, it does finish a little hot.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Courvoisier XO Cognac
Distiller Score 90
The influence of the Borderies shines through on the nose, with a honeyed floral bouquet highlighted by violets. The palate is velvety, and somewhat oily, with candied orange peel, vanilla, and blackberries, shifting towards the back with bitter notes of cacao and pistachio shells. The finish offers menthol and spicy, astringent oak, along with dark chocolate-covered raspberries.
Reviewed by Jake Emen