Jollité VSOP Armagnac

Having it in a sidecar, and it's delicious

I hated this at first. It actually caused me to feel physically ill after burning my throat like napalm. Now, though, I appreciate the strong spiciness (lots of cloves and ginger), hints of vanilla, faint nuttiness, and underlying oil. There is some sweetness, but not too much and just a tad of oiliness. I'd like some more richness or something here, but the flavor is somewhat interesting overall and I enjoy it much more than I initially thought possible. The hibt of salty, smoky bacon toward the finish is interesting and reminds me of Talisker, though I'm not sure whether I like that touch. There is a bit of sweet cherry flavor that I find off-putting at times. Aside from that, the flavor is woody and spicy with the overall impression being harsh. If you take a big enough swig, you can get some rich chocolate flavor going on that combats the cherry, so that redeems this drink a bit. All told this is a solid drink, but not anything amazing. It would score a point higher if it were not so harsh. Also, if it's flavors were more on point, like those of the Delord XO. It lacks the sickly cherry of Remy Martin 1738, though its woody tannin flavor enters a similar battle. I'd say that the Jollite is slightly superior. This drink would benefit from some more variety to its flavors.

Amazingly smooth. I was shocked at how good this tastes. It ranks up there with some of the $100+ Brandeis I've tasted.

This is a new 1 for me, has some very nice undertones, tasty 😉