Pierre Ferrand Original Formula 1840 Cognac

The best Cognac you can buy for Mixing cocktails. Try in Sidecar, Stinger, and Brandy Crusta

Asador

Nose - pear, grape, chocolate, sawdust, cinnamon, mint, orange, dry vanilla, old wood, yeast, floral notes, perfume, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - ripe pear, grape, orange zest, caramel, cherry, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, spearmint, slightly tannic oak, chocolate, herbal undertones, moderate alcohol bite, finishing reasonably fast with mint, pepper, and bitter oak flavors. I think this is a decent cognac, but there’s nothing particularly special about it. I like it better than the VS offerings from the big houses, but slightly less than the A De Fussigny Sélection (and much less than their XO). I use this primarily as a mixer, as I find the extra proof holds up better in cocktails, but it’s not a terrible sipper on its own. As an entry level cognac, it’s alright. I plan to continue stocking it for sidecars and other brandy-forward drinks, unless I come across something better in the price range.

Wow, this looks orange and smells bitter and meaty with some strong tequila notes. The palate is bitter and very orange with some hits of orange peel but also just generically off-putting. The fruit and floral (orange blossom) elements are absolutely there and help the flavor, but it tastes disgustingly sweet. The rich meat tastes a little rotten. It's gross and out of place at the very least. The flavors are discordant. Some alcohol does come through. That gross meat gives way to some medicinal bitterness and a hint of mint at points. It's gross, bit more explainable in that way. This finally becomes a kind of interesting drink with a hello flavor and texture to it somehow. It grows on me as it goes on, but I never love it. It's hard to figure out what it's good for. It has a bit of a scotch seaside element to it, bit mostly in a confusing way, kind of like how some brandies taste like rum. It's just not good. It's far to discordant and it has too much of an alcohol flavor to it. I find this difficult to sip at the best of times. There is a lot wrong here.