Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Navarre Cravache D'or Grande Champagne Cognac 45%

 

Here’s another cognac by way of PM Spirits. Ryan briefly reviewed this bottling while visiting the Navarre estate, but I think ultimately it was overshadowed by the incredibly intimate experience he had (Ryan kept telling me he couldn’t keep track of all the fantastic spirits he drank while in France). This is the youngest of the OB Navarres you can buy and is a blend of ~20 year cognac. PM Spirits was nice enough to send me a sample for review.

N: There’s tons of fruits here...mango, lychee, papaya...also getting some woodshop sawdust, citrus peel, and wax candy (orange Starbursts)

P: The body is rich...and waxy, not incredibly waxy but noticeably, indeed. Flavor-wise the mango jumps right out along with papaya, traces of orchard fruits, and pear skin...it also has one foot in white wine, perhaps a tad resiling-esque (I am by no means a white wine expert).

F: nice length and balance, there is literally nothing harsh or offensive about this spirit.

This is truly an everyday cognac. It's something I could drink in the morning, afternoon, or at night...I could drink it with friends, while reading a book, or relaxing and channel surfing on the couch. This is the very definition of “everyday” when spirits geeks refer to the word “everyday.” It’s priced at $150 which is a little more than I would like it to be, but at the same time it's not going to stop me from buying these (cough cough please stock these Binnys cough). To me, this is the Talisker 10 of brandy - something that will always have a place on my shelf...something I’ll take to the grandparents at Christmas...or on camping trips...or to parties attended by carefree drinkers. 

Grade: B+ (a high B+).


No comments:

Post a Comment

Malternative "Avant" Cognac Borderies 1925 Belgium 49%

Today’s review is of a 1925 Borderies from Malternative, an independent bottler based out of Belgium (owned by Pieter Knape) focusing on bot...