ABK6 VS Pure Single Cognac

I'm not sure if this is only available at Total Wine, but that's where I got it. I am in the process of making a series of 2L barrel-aged cocktails that I'll bottle as gifts for friends this holiday season. So far I've made a port-wine finished Doorly's rum, Bulleit Revolver, Brooklyn Godfather and a strawberry infused Negroni. I want to finish the series with an aged Sazerac and I needed some cognac for the split base of the cocktail. I figured while I'm here... Tasted neat from a glencairn. A good while was given for the liquid to rest after the pour. This bottle has been open for a little over a day and I left about 60ml in the bottom of the bottle. Even from 18" away I can smell the fruity grapes of this cognac. ABK6 is the mark for Domaines Francis Abécassis. In addition to a VS, VSOP & XO cognac, the house also distills vodka, gin, Petit Champagne cognacs & other eau de vie. The pour is apple juice clear and shows some good sheeting on a swirl. The nose is fruity and light offering some floral qualities. I get sweet apples, bosc pear, wildflower honey and maybe a touch of jasmine. It's almost liqueur like in its lushness. All in all its very nice, moderately complex and surprisingly pleasant for this price point. On the palate this is quite tame and tasty. There's definitely that apple, a bit of pear and some white-fleshed plums. A bit of honey coats the lips while the faintest blush of ginger and white pepper offer a glow of spice. The finish is short and clean. This is fruity and light. Its a delightful grape brandy and is really a good choice I think for cocktails. I'm certain the Sazerac will come out wonderfully partnered as it is with George Dickel rye (95/5 MGP - nicely fruity and approachable as well). On its own I'm happy to drink this neat or over ice. It doesn't even come close to having the gravitas of a Hennessy XO or the silky presence of a Remy 1738, but for $28 its a real value. I rate on a scale where a 1 = something I won't finish and 5 = a perfect example of the expression. Most competently made liquors should follow a bell curve and end up in the range of 2.0 to 3.0. This ABK6 VS is certainly that. Solid and tasty and a bit above average when considered against its competition at this price. I'm giving this one 3 stars.

Good, taste like Hennessy but smooth

The nose is fruity with a nice combination of cherry and orange peel. There's some spice on the nose that fits in well. The palate has those same cherry and orange flavors in nice balance with the spice. There's some alcohol coming in, but it isn't overwhelming. There isn't a ton of complexity here, but it's solid enough in the flavor department. The sweetness is not overwhelming, though it does have a bit of an icing sugar presence. This has much more orange and spice than Symbols National does, though it is less rich and layered and has more of an alcohol presence. This also has a more floral, lighter flavor. I do like the orange and spice though. This isn't a bad Cognac. This compared favorably with Hennessey VS in terms of being punchily fruity with a syrupy backing. It has a nicer core than Bushmill's Black Bush does, but it also has less complexity. In a direct comparison, Bushmill's wins due to its ability to mask it's alcohol and provide more depth, but this is still pretty good. The nose is more rich and woody than that of Pierre Duchene. There are slight hints of cherry, but there are also grapefruit and orange. There might also be faint scents of chocolate and caramel, as well as some light floral notes. It smells very good. The palate is fairly rich and viscous with a tangerine sweetness before some mild notes of dark cherry and chocolate and a bit of oily bitterness, reminding me of Irish whiskey like Bushmill's. This would be a disappointing substitute for Bushmill's 21, but it's quite good and certainly better than Pierre Duchene. There's something a bit like formaldehyde tannin coming out that I'm not a fan of and none of the flavors are all that exciting and powerful. There's a bit of a metallic flavor with the tannins that I wish were absent. It's less floral, sweet, and grainy than Bushmill's Black Bush is. The Bushmill's has more complexity to its flavor, but it also has more of an immature sweetness. This is surprisingly numbing, though I guess it does have some clove flavor. I appreciate the richness here, but the metal is a bit much. Despite the sweetness of the Bushmill's, it executed a nicer balance of flavors. This is richer with some lurking subtlely, but it's more jagged. I'd say that the two are about the same quality, but the Bushmill's is a little bit better. Compared with Pierre Duchene, this has more floral and fruity (apricot) notes on the nose, as well as less murky scent. The palate has a nice sweet floral apricot flavor. The profile is cleaner than that of the Pierre Duchene, though the flavor is also milder. It isn't as harsh and the apricot flavor is juicy and lingering. The Pierre Duchene isn't bad by any means, but this is clearly better for drinking (likely no better or even worse for cooking though).