Pierre Ferrand Renegade Barrel 1 - Cognac and Sauternes Cask

Ryan's Review

Pierre Ferrand Renegade Barrel 1 - Cognac and Sauternes Cask
48%

N: a bit musty, grape, leather, coffee, wood polish
T: Oranges right from the start, grapes (duh), sawdust, leather, dark sipping chocolate
F:  more citrus marmalade, some rough oak tannins 

An interesting profile. There’s the lovely thick sweet citrus and grape fighting with the broodier earthy flavors. There’s a nice thickish mouthfeel. And then those abrasive oak tannins really start to take over and mar the finish. 

In general I’m a fan of earthy profiles, especially in malt whisky, but the parts don’t seem to work too well together here. Not entirely un-enjoyable, though, and certainly wouldn’t refuse if offered. Just not digging the whole package. 

B-

Tesseron Lot 53

Tesseron is a grower / producer located in Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, which is part of the Grande Champagne region. They began producing cognac in 1905 and the distiller has been family owned for generations; Alfred and Melanie Tesseron currently oversee the brand. The cellar used by Tesseron dates back to the 13th century and originally operated as crypt for a local church! I’ll spare you any campy “spirits” puns. Until 2003, Tesseron was a wholesaler to the large cognac houses and a their cognac ended up in many prestigious large house bottlings. In 2003, Tesseron broke away from the wholesale business and started independently bottling and selling their cognac. 

Tesseron's cognac spends up to 75 years in oak, solely in Limousin oak. The crypt/cellar is a humid cellar which causes the angels to extract more alcohol than water. After 75 years (and perhaps sometimes prior), Tesseron transfers their cognac to demijohns in the Paradis cellar. Some of the cognacs in Tesseron’s cellar have not been reduced with water while resting in the cask.

Tesseron only bottles XO cognac. It appears that for some time, the BNIC prohibited the use of “vintages” on cognac so Tesseron labeled their cognac with “lot” followed by a number to indicate the age of the cognac bottled. I’m guessing that the BNIC revised the regulations regarding the use of “vintage” (which is now allowed) but Tesseron continued labeling their cognac with “lot” for marketing continuity.

Ungi Blanc is mainly used to make Tesseron's cognac, but they also incorporates a small portion of Folle Blanche and Colombard. Some of the grapes are grown on the estate (they own two very well-regarded wine vinyards, Château Pontet-Canet and Château Lafon-Rochet) and some are sourced from other vineyards in Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne.

Tesseron states that the use of Limosin oak (less tannins) along with aging in humid cellars (which causes more alcohol to evaporate and lowers the abv naturally) lends itself to long-term aging.

This review covers the Tesseron Lot 53, a bottle that I split with Ryan.

Nose: orange flavored milk chocolate candies, fig newtons, sweet tobacco, light nuttiness
Palate: light and airy…apricots, toffee, coconut chips, some baking spices and a light floral quality in the background
Finish: longer than short but shorter than long (if that makes sense?!?!)

Final thoughts: this is a good cognac. It shows no flaws in flavor and I don’t think it would offend any palate. With that said, its light…like, really light. It’s the type of drink you want to start off the night with and not end with, and I could see this getting drowned out at a tasting. If this was bottled at 46%, or even 43% (that is, if the abv is still that high after 50+ years in oak), this would be top tier cognac. But ultimately it suffers from the low proof. I think a whisky drinker would enjoy this…but I also think they would also want more oomph.

I chased the Tesseron Lot 53 with some of the Binny’s Maison Park Borderies for comparison. While the Maison Park tasted younger and less complex than the Tesseron, it had a stronger overall flavor profile. To me, they balanced out and I couldn’t recommend one over the other. So, with that in mind, I’m giving the Tesseron a B+.

Grade: B Plus 

Source

http://vintuswines.com/estates/cognac_tesseron

Cognac 101 – CliffsNotes Version

Cognac is an old-world spirit, and through the years, there has been a growth of regulation and oversight. Currently, the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (“BINC”) oversees stocks and ages of cognac. The BINC is a private institution financed by cognac professionals (cognac companies and growers). The French government recognizes specific regions that produce different types of agricultural products, such as wine, cheese, meat, etc. Those regions are certified and regulated by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (“INAO”). The designated areas are identified as an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or, Controlled Appellation of Origin (“AOC”). The Cognac AOC is the overall region of production for cognac. Generally, to be called cognac, a spirit must meet the BINC’s rules and be produced within the Cognac AOC.

Within the AOC, there are 6 cognac production regions, which are also referred to as “Crus”:
(1) Grande Champagne (17% of production)
(2) Petit Champagne (22% of production)
(3) Fins Bois (44% of production)
(4) Borderies (5% of production)
(5) Bons Bois (12% of production)
(6) Bois Ordinaires (1% of production)
% numbers based on 2009 data

There are several varieties of grapes that are grown in the cognac regions. Generally, the grapes used in the production of cognac are:
(1) Ungi Blanc (98% of all cognac used is Ungi Blanc)
(2) Colombard
(3) Folle Blanche (old school grapes that were mainly used pre-phylloxera)
(4) Montils
(5) Sémillon (not really used to make cognac)
(6) Folignan (cross of Folle Blanche and Ungi Blanc)
Distillation

Cognac is distilled from wine and there are certain quality controls in place. At the time of distillation, the abv of the distilled wine must be between 7% and 12% abv. Some distillers have established a micro distillation process to test the wine and confirm the quality of the eaux-de-vis prior to full distillation.
Cognac must be double distilled in an Alembic Charentais pot still. A continuous column still cannot be used to make cognac. The Charentais pot still has 3 different components: still boiler, still head (and swans neck), and cooling tank (and coil). Charentais pot stills are required to be made from copper.
The first distillation of cognac is called “chauffe.” The chauffe of the wine lasts 8 to 10 hours and the resulting product is called “brouillis,” which is approximately 30% abv. Up to 140 hectoliters of wine may be distilled on the first run (apparently some distillers have a separate still with a 140 hl capacity for the first distillation).The chauffe can produce around 30 hectoliters of brouillis. The second distillation is called the “bonne chauffe," where up to 25 hectoliters of brouillis is distilled on still with a maximum capacity of 30 hectoliters. Distillation takes place over open flame. The maximum abv for cognac is 72.4%.
There are 3 types of distillers in the cognac region:
1. Grower-Distillers: these guys grow grapes and distill their cognac. There are more than 4,000 grower distillers, of whom, 1,300 own their stills. Some grower-distillers directly sell their cognac (just over 500). The majority of grower-distillers sell their eaux-de-vie to larger cognac houses.
2. Professional Distillers: these guys purchase wine and distill it into cognac for themselves or others. There are around 100 professional distillers. 

3. Co-Opts: there are several distillation cooperatives.
Barrels and Aging

Cognac is aged in French oak casks, either Limousin oak or Tronçais oak. Limousin oak is a wide grain oak that grows in natural forests and Tronçais oak is a fine grain oak that grows in timber forests. Limousin oak imparts more tannins into the spirit, adding more oak character, where Tronçais oak produces a more balanced spirit.
Cognac barrel makers toast their barrels (rather than char). The toasting is called “bousinage.” One unique fact I learned a couple years ago at a seminar about the Parker’s Heritage Collection Cognac Cask Bourbon was that some cognac barrels are grooved on the inside to create more surface to wood contact.
Cognac is typically put into new oak casks for a short period of time (from months to several years) and then later transferred to used cooperage. The most common size for cognac barrels is 350 liters.
Cognac barrels are allowed to be topped off with eaux-de-vis from the same “source” to compensate for natural evaporation and preserve volume to surface ratio. I have not found a definition for “source” and whether it’s a general interpretation, meaning any eaux-de-vis from the distillery can be used to top off a particular cask, or if its more specific and means that only eaux-de-vis that was distilled around the same time as the eaux-de-vis contained in the barrel being topped off can be used. From what I’ve read, it seems like casks are topped off with cognac that is around the same age and from the same storage facility.
Cellars
There are two types of cellars that are used to age cognac: dry and humid cellars.
Dry cellars (40% to 60% humidity) cause more evaporation of water from the cask and there is less fluctuation with the abv while the cognac is aged. Cognac aged in dry cellars is allegedly drier and possesses more character.
Humid cellars (90% to 100% humidity) cause more evaporation of alcohol from the cask and the abv of cognac aged in humid cellars tends to drop more than in dry cellars. Cognac aged in humid cellars allegedly are softer and more balanced.
Paradise cellars are used to age very old cognacs. After 40 to 60 years in oak, cognac is transferred from barrels to glass demijohns to halt the aging process. The demijohns are placed in the Paradise cellar to rest until bottling, sometimes for decades (or perhaps a century). There are some rare instances where cognac has been left in a cask for up to 100 years and later used as part of a blend.

Reduction
Cognac must be a minimum of 40% abv. On average, cognac loses approximately 2% per year to the angel’s share. Distillers/blenders are ultimately in charge of reduction. Some distillers reduce the cognac early in the aging process, or slowly add water over many years, allowing the reduced spirit to age in the barrel longer.

Blending and Additives
This is pretty self-explanatory – master blenders craft final products of various eaux-de-vis for blends. Aside from water, boise, sugar, and caramel color are allowed to be added to cognac.
Boise is created by boiling wood chips in water, then removing the chips and slowly reducing the remaining liquid, creating a liquid with wood flavor and tannin. Boise is used to give the impression of oak aging to a final spirit. Boise is typically used in young cognacs.
Sugar syrup is allowed to be added for sweetness and legally 2% of a cognac's content can be sugar syrup.
Caramel coloring is a liquid made from burned sugar. It is dark in color and slightly bitter in taste. It is not used to sweeten cognac, but to adjust its color and establish consistency or give the spirit the impression of being older.
From a purist perspective, the addition of Boise, sugar syrup , caramel is where cognac producers lose spirits enthusiast (especially whisky nerds).
The Final Product and Bottle
1. Cognac must be at least 2 years old.
2. The minimum abv must be 40%.
3. The appellation must be on the label.
4. The word “fine” on the label really means nothing, except the use of “Fine Champagne” means that the cognac in the bottle must be exclusively sourced from Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne, and that at least 50% of the cognac must come from Grande Champagne.
5. If 100% of the cognac in the bottle comes from a specific cru, that cru can be on the label.
6. Aging designations are based on the youngest cognac in the blend.
Aging designations:
VS or 3 Star: youngest in blend at least 2 years
VSOP: youngest in blend at least 4 years
Napoléon, XO, Extra, Hors D’âge: youngest in blend at least 6 years, but from 2016 onwards, XO means that the youngest cognac in the blend must be 10 years old
Vintage years: refers to the harvest year of the grapes and can be a blend of several barrels from a specific harvest year.
Links
http://www.cognac.fr/cognac/_fr/2_cognac/index.aspx
https://le-cognac.com/tout-savoir-sur-le-cognac/l-elaboration-du-cognac/assemblage.html
https://blog.cognac-expert.com/vs-vsop-xo-what-does-mean-napoleon-grade-blending/
http://noteworthywines.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013-Spirits-Cognac.pdf

Lhéraud XO Charles VII

Ryan's Review

Lheraud started making cognac in the early 1800’s. They’re a smaller house that keeps their production all in the family, from vineyard to winemaking to distillation to bottling. This is a 44% cognac, multi-cru (region) blend, and aged for 40 years.  Lheraud has impressed me in the past, so this one seems promising. It comes in an oversized box, in a fancy decanter, and with a heavy glass stopper.  Points for presentation, but we’re more interested in what’s inside the bottle aren’t we.

Nose: starts with florals, roasted nuts, fruit and cream, caramel, cedar
Taste: sweet and juicy entry of stone fruits, honey’d apples, followed by caramel, and coffee liqueur.
Finish: lengthy finish, slightly drying with tobacco, cedar, chocolate, and lingering sweet fruits

This is a well-put together spirit that covers a lot of territory, and flavor and mouthfeel aren't suffering at 44%.  Not too challenging in any one direction, which makes it very drinkable, but has layers to unravel, which keeps it interesting. Can be found for $175 at online stores.  I find it a worthy cognac, but one might think that the price would be a little more attractive if they’d replace the unnecessary decanter and glass stopper with a basic bottle.  It toes the line between B+ and A-, but let’s call it a B+ and say that it’s a bottle well worth having on the bar.

Grade: B+

Daniel Bouju “Royal” Brut de Fut 60%

A few years ago, I wanted to broaden my horizons and seek out the perfect brandy even though I had no clue what that was. I was looking for a bottle that had all the same characteristics of good scotch, bourbon, and mezcal…spirits I love. At that time, the brandies on American shelves were, frankly, quite boring. While casual drinkers likely don’t mind low ABVs, cryptic labels, and campy marketing, those traits don’t lure in spirits nerds. We want proof, details, and credibility. So, when I saw the Daniel Bouju Royal, I did a double take. Daniel Bouju was alien to me. The bottle wasn’t flashy or trying to be something it wasn’t; it was informative and honest. “Cognac,” “Grande Champagne,” “Brut de Frut (cask strength),” “non filtre!” And oh, the spirit was dark. Any sherry cask loving scotch drinker knows the magnetism of a dark spirit. The Royal stood taller than the rest of the cognacs on the shelf…so I bought it. The bottle has been open for a while and has changed with air, but the core remains relatively the same. Onto the deets… 

House: Daniel Bouju (“DB”). DB is located in Grande Champagne and is a producer (they grow, distill, age, and bottle their cognac). The DB family has been distilling since the early 1800s but they didn’t start selling cognac under their own name until the 1970s. Francois Bouju currently runs the family business. Most of DB’s grapes are grown in Saint-Preuil, an area known for its good soil as well as hills that provide more sun exposure and drainage. DB has been distilling cognac on the same still since 1969. DB ages their cognac in 350-liter Limousin oak casks and prefers a heavy toast (perhaps a char?), as opposed to most cognac producers who prefer a light toast. DB states that they leave new distillate in unused oak casks longer than other producers, from around a year to several years, and that the use of new oak is what contributes to DB’s dark color.

http://nextstopcognac.com/en/cognac-producers/grande-champagne/daniel-bouju

The color of DB’s spirit is, to a certain extent, a source of mild controversy. DB states that there are no additives in their bottlings, including sugar and caramel coloring. Further, DB is known to be an advocate of the "Production Artisanale,” i.e. artisanal production. Like Richard Seale’s (Foursquare) push with rum classifications and identification of additives, DB has been on the vanguard of the anti-additive movement in cognac. But the sheer darkness of the Royal, which is supposedly a 15-year cognac, definitely raises some red flags. Consider George T. Stagg, which is aged in the hot Kentucky climate and doesn’t reach the darkness levels the Royal does. So, what’s the deal?

A 2013 discussion on Sku’s blog provides some insight. David OG from K&L Wines stated that European oak imparts darker tannins than American oak, and that coupled with prolonged use of new, heavily toasted oak could produce a very dark spirit like DB. Towards the end of the discussion, an anonymous poster stated that she vacationed near the DB estate and learned from Francois Bouju that the distillation he was involved with (25 years in 2013) did not contain additives, but that some of the very old cognac distilled by his father and grandfather potentially could have additives. Francois Bouju pointed out that the governing body that creates and enforces cognac regulations did not exist when his grandfather was distilling cognac. So, potentially, the younger DB cognac (like the Royal I’m reviewing) does not contain caramel coloring, while perhaps some older bottlings do. Here’s the link to the discussion:

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2013/01/daniel-bouju-cognac.html

The information provided here is from internet sources so take that into consideration (FAKE NEWS?!?!?). Hopefully, in the future I’ll have the opportunity to speak to Francois Bouju and learn about his spirit first-hand.

Notes

Nose: California Raisins©, vanilla, cigar box, molasses

Palate: It’s a thick and sweet (but not cloying). It’s also got a bite but its not hot by any means. Ghirardelli raspberry squares, black licorice, maple syrup, Demerara rum. Some bitter notes (like coffee) slip in.

Finish: long and the sweetness slowly recedes.

Thoughts: I’m going to give this cognac two grades, and what applies depends on what you like. If you like Demerara rum, this is an A-. To me, there are similarities to some of the Velier rums from Guyana; in fact, my buddy who is a huge fan of Guyana went out and bought a bottle of the Royal after trying it. While I like Demerara rum, its not one of my favorites. So, for people that aren’t huge Demerara fans, I’d say this is B+ cognac – it's tasty and a quality spirit but the sweetness may be a little amplified. I think, like the Louis Pibious L’Encantada Armagnacs, this would be a good introductory cognac for bourbon drinkers.

Grade:

A- (Demerara rum fans)
B+ (not so Demerara rum fans)

Incoming Vallein Tercinier Yak to USA!

Here's a little bit of shameless self-promotion that you can also benefit from. 

This summer, a few friends and I set out to select a cask from one of our favorite cognac houses, Vallien Tercinier. The samples we received were outstanding and we selected a 1970 vintage from Petite Champagne. 

Vallien Tercinier is a small cognac house that produces and sources cognac.  Vallien Tercinier does not chill filter nor add color, and they issue some releases at cask strength. They have become a darling of a few well known whisky reviewers and in my opinion, the praise they receive is more than justified.

The tasting panel included some reliable and veteran palates. 

We've finally cleared the TTB labeling process and expect the bottles to arrive in late winter / early spring - I'll post an update when they arrive. While most of the bottles will be allocated, Flask Fine Wines in California will be selling some at retail. Given what's in the bottle, the pricing will be insanely reasonable. Flask also decided to purchase a portion of the 1990 cask from Grande Champagne, which was very tasty and could be mistaken for a fruity BenRiach / Littlemill / Rosebank. I'll be snagging a few bottles of the 1990, too.  

Below are the COLAs.

https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/viewColaDetails.do?action=publicFormDisplay&ttbid=17348001000304

https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/viewColaDetails.do?action=publicFormDisplay&ttbid=17348001000290

  

Francois Voyer Single Cask 71 Grande Champagne 44% for LMDW

This bottle – it ain’t cheap. You can find it for 300 Euro at LMDW, but it occasionally comes in and out of stock at Master of Malt for around 275 USD (excluding shipping). On a good day, you’re spending around 350 USD to get this sucker to your door. That’s the price of a new gaming console, a nice dinner for four, or a monthly cable bill (thanks, Comcast!). Despite my better judgement, I bought one. And then I tasted it. And then I bought another. I guess I’m showing my hand on how I’m going to score this. Before the notes, some bottle deets.

Cognac House: “Maison François Voyer was established over two centuries ago in the towns of Verrières and Ambleville, in Grande Champagne, where it produces cognacs that are initially aged in new barrels for three years to provide the necessary structure lengthy ageing” (LMDW Website). Voyer is a producer and they grow, distill, and bottle their cognac. Voyer began distilling around 1870 and the Voyer family has been distilling for 5 generations. Pierre Vaudon is the current cellar master at Voyer. The Cognac Expert blog has a few pictures up of the Voyer vineyards as well as what looks to be their Paradis (a fancy name for a fancy cellar). https://blog.cognac-expert.com/visit-francois-voyer-cognac/. Voyer ages their spirit in new oak for 3 years and then shifts it to other cooperage. The bottle reviewed is “probably” a 1971 vintage (“71” is on the label, implying the vintage).

Bottler: Through the Grapevine. If you’re a whisky drinker, LMDW has you in their sights with the bottling line. Single cask, cask strength…they know their crowd. I emailed them and asked about chill-filtering, coloring, and additives (such as sugar and boise). No response yet…and I’m not holding my breath. I’ve found chill-filtering is commonplace amongst the small and large cognac houses, so it’s likely they are chill-filtered. The coloring of the Through the Grapevine bottles on the LMDW website look suspiciously the same, and the three bottles I have open all look the same as well, so they are probably colored. This bottle says it was bottled by Voyer and the others say they were bottled at their respective cognac houses.

Region: Grande Champagne. A lot of what I’ve read so far promotes Grand Champagne as the “greatest cru.” Just look at the regions name – it has to be the best, right? At the very least, the people in Grande Champagne hired the right marketing firm. The region is approximately 134 square miles with vineyards covering around 51 square miles. The region is hilly and the soil is largely clay with limestone underneath. I’ll dive into crus and whether there are noticeable differences (from a consumer perspective) as I explore more, but one trait that I’ve seen ascribed to Grande Champagne is that distillate from its grapes take well to extended aging (were talking about 40 to 50 years in oak).

Notes

Nose: fruity, sweet, and lightly floral. Guava, mango, pineapple, passionfruit, honeysuckle, buttercream and rose petals.

Palate: tropical fruit cup (like when you were a kid), pears, green melons, saffron and something like sandalwood in the background. The tropical fruits are the dominant notes.

Finish: more tropical fruits followed by a wave of citrus that attacks mid-palate. Medium to long length.

Final take: I love this bottle. It’s fruity, thick, and enormously flavorful for a lower proof bottling. Barrel entry proof for cognac is around 70% (max by law is 72%) and some producers gradually add water to the barrels over the years (for multiple reasons, including reducing the angels share and down-proofing to drinking strength). If this was slowly watered down, I imagine that has a different effect than watering down at bottling. Alternatively, it’s possible this is cask strength and the low ABV is a result of evaporation; the cognac is 45/46 years old so very possible. Either way, the proof is not an issue and the fruity profile really pops – think Guy Fieri and “Flavortown” (I apologize for that reference). The fruity profile put this bottling in the same class as the 1973/75 independently bottled fino cask Speysides (cough, cough, Glenfarclas, cough) and the 1989/91 Irish whiskies. With that, I’m giving this bottle a straight A. The price almost pushed it down to an A-, but given the similarities to the aforementioned whiskies and that it’s relatively priced around (or even slightly below) those whiskies, I decided to give it a solid A.     
Grade: A

2006 Maison Park Cellar No. 5 Single Barrel # 9266 Borderies Cognac Aged 10 years Binny's Handpicked

A review!

A couple weeks ago I was working my way through my local Binnys, picking up some vino for the wife and depressingly making my way through the uninspiring spirits aisle (at no fault of Binnys, mind you) when I saw a pair of new Maison Park, also known as Cognac Park, single cask cognacs sitting on the shelf. There was a 10 year old from Borderies and a 10 year old from Grande Champagne. I’m a fan of the regular Maison Park Borderies so my curiosity was piqued. The Maison Park Borderies was 90 proof and only $69.99, while the Maison Park Grande Champagne was 98 proof and $99.99. I took the path of least financial resistance and picked up the Borderies.

Brand: Maison Park, also known as Cognac Park. Cognac Park is a brand that is owned by The Distillerie Tessendier estate, a house that purchases eaux-de-vie (generic French term for cognac) from various cognac producers. Cognac Park is a relative young brand from what I can tell. According to their website, the Tessendiers have a long family history in the distillation and production of cognac – but everyone has a story that goes back eons in the booze industry. I’m guessing they operate on a contract basis with distillers and purchase unaged and aged cognac, and then use the purchased cognacs in their blends. Every house is unique so I’m sure I’m oversimplifying their operations a tad.

Region: Borderies. Cognac is essentially broken down into 6 growing regions. The Borderies region is the smallest growing region (52 square miles), has a mix of chalk and clay soil, and runs a tad cooler than the other regions (perhaps due to the clay). Borderies allegedly carries an intense and nutty character. Several large houses, like Martell, source eaux-de-vie from the Borderies region. Whether or not soil, clay, and more generally “terroir” play a factor in flavor is something I intend to explore as I go on – are these factors just different shades of color on the same car or do they imprint a unique flavor onto the spirit?

Binnys provided the following notes for the Maison Park Borderies: “A more delicate nose here with some butterscotch, ripe stone fruits and French oak spice. Round and supple on the palate with peaches, fruit jelly and lingering oak and toffee. Poached pears and delicate spice highlight the finish.”

Here’s my take on this bottle:

Nose:
Butterscotch, Molasses, sweet green tea, lemon, nutmeg

Palate:
A little young wood, brown sugar, more baking spices, pears, almonds...definitely some Werthers Original in the background.

Mouthfeel:
Nice viscousness

Finish:
Settles on the tongue for a nice medium length

This is a tasty Yak. The price makes it even more attractive. It’s not very fruity but that’s ok, it hits on a lot of notes. This would be a great entry level bottle for anyone.

REVISIT
I still really enjoy but now that I've had more time with it I'm giving it a solid B. It's still a great value and worth picking up in my book.

Grade B

Upcoming reviews

Some reviews in the pipeline...

• Camus Rarissimes Pionneau 1969
• Francois Voyer 1971 for LMDW
• Francois Voyer XO
• Camus 1970 for LMDW
• Remi Landier 1987 for LMDW
• Lheraud 1996 Fins Bois
• Lheraud XO Charles VII
• L'encantada Lous Pibous
• Chateau Pellehaut 1996 Armagnac for K&L
• Tesseron Lot 76

An American pilgrimage into French spirits

As I explore spirits, there's usually a path to follow when my tastes shift and I look for something "new and interesting." As I've moved into the world of French spirits, particularly cognac, the path hasn't been as clear. While some trailblazers have documented their sojourn through cognac, a lot of the online material about cognac is doused with self-promotion and marketing gobbledygook. 

So considering the dearth of cognac resources, I'm creating a blog that I hope will act as a resource for fellow spirits enthusiasts that are interested in cognac. I'll post reviews of cognac and also dive into the process and sift out what's fact from mythos. What can be added to cognac and who is adding what? Does terroir really matter with cognac or is it marketing babble used to up-sell products? Why don't they release more barrel proof options (and what is barrel proof for cognac anyways)? Does a fancy decanter make cognac taste better or is it just intended to make the drinker feel better? The answer to the last question is pretty self explanatory.  

I'm new to all of this and learning, probably just like you! I’ll be gathering my information from various sources and providing citations where specific information is provided. I'll also be approaching this blog from a whisky drinkers perspective. Please feel free to correct any mistakes or misinformation. I also expect my buddy Ryan to chime in from time-to-time with his take on bottles. As for other resources, I'll post links. I also highly recommend you join SKU's "Serious Brandy" Facebook page - SKU has been leading the charge for spirits nerds when it comes to brandy.

My grading system is in line with most:

A+ transcendent
A must buy
A- probably want to buy
B+ very good and odds are you'll like it 
B daily drinker, looking for value here and you might want to try before buying
B- could live without - probably niche drinker
C+ definitely a niche drinker and most will not like
C flawed brandy
C- seriously flawed brandy with maybe one or two redeeming traits
D why did they put this in a bottle
E rotgut booze, made to fuel cars  

One final note - there may be some fluctuations in grades, i.e. I may rate something a B and later change it to a B + or B - depending on how the bottle develops. Booze evolves after its been open and I want to focus on the consistency of a bottle (if reviewing an entire bottle). So, if something gets better (or I change my mind after the new car smell wears off) I want to document that.