Saturday, January 20, 2018

Jean Fillioux XO Grande Reserve 44%

Ryan's Review


The Cognac house Jean Fillioux was founded in the late 1800s and is currently owned and run by a 4th and 5th generation father and son team, Pascal and Christophe Fillioux. They operate on a 63 acre vineyard, exclusively growing Ugni Blanc grapes, up until recently when they started planting Folignan. Apparently, the eaux-de-vie in this bottle has been aged for more than 30 years and comes from grapes grown in the Grande Champagne region.

Nose: Dark sugars and caramel. Quite nutty with some old oak notes.
Taste: Apricots, peaches, and heavy vanilla up front. Quickly transitions to some earthier notes. Leather, nuts, and herbal bitters. Elderberry comes through.  Much like the nose there’s a dark caramel layer underneath all of this.
Finish: A spicy finish. There are some walnut bitters and simple syrup. But what lasts beyond the rest is the cinnamon and other oak spices.
Overall:  This is a complex cognac in its layers of sugars, bitters, and spices. The fruits take a back seat to some of the heavier and darker notes. A fair amount of oak influence, although not oaky. Perhaps not going to be everybody's cup of tea, but no denying it's quality.

Grade: B +

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