A fresh little troupe of great cognacs and armagnacs for Easter


March 31, 2024

A fresh little troupe of great cognacs
and armagnacs for Easter

It's delightful to see the new bottlers of French brandies expand, or at least offer an increasing array of versions. Let's go vertical and cheerfully mix the Charentes and the Gascony!

(A very interesting wee page about the differences between cognac and armagnac at Château Arton)

ABK6 12 yo 'Batch N°1' (42.6%, OB, Aged Collection, 1594 bottles)

Single estate but bizarrely, they do not mention any 'cru' on the main label. Technically, they could call it an XO. Colour: gold. Nose: a lovely floral and honeyed freshness, with very ripe pear, vineyard peach, early morning dandelion flowers, followed by a touch of caramel and toffee. A slight grilled note that works very well. Palate: a bit less defined than on the nose, more herbal, with a light note of grape stalks and toasted wood, then grilled nuts and dried raisins. It gradually improves, returning to ripe peach and honey, with maple syrup becoming increasingly pronounced. Finish: medium in length, with a very slightly medicinal edge that's not at all unpleasant. We're not quite at Laphroaig levels, are we... A hint of liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: it's a bit pricey (100 euros) but it's a small batch. Truly good.
SGP:561 - 83 points.

Domaine du Péré 15 yo 2007/2023 (51%, Alabat, Bas-armagnac, cask #122, 250 bottles)

100% baco and bottled by Alabat, another member of the new wave of French indie bottlers (lovely bottles, lovely modern arty labels, lovely contents). Colour: amber. Nose: It starts with a bit of glue and varnish, akin to a fine bourbon, then moves on to cider apple and green pear, before leaning more towards stewed fruits and roasted nuts, with a hint of molasses. With water: a few notes of rubber (which we love when it's in these proportions) and damp earth, in addition to everything else. Mouth (neat): It begins much softer and more wine-like, with a hint of pineau and even rancio, followed by that famous bourbon taste, with Demerara sugar and vanilla. It's quite unusual. With water: still in that sweet, slightly overcooked register. It makes one think of a natural sweet wine. Very alluring, without any harshness (S., that would be the last thing needed). Finish: medium length, on brown sugar and dried raisins. Lovely slightly burnt cakes as its signature, and even a tiny hint of herbaceous salinity. Comments: very, very good, both sweet and a tad rustic. We'll have some older ones by Alabat next time.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Aurian 40 yo 1983/2023 (48.6%, Maltbarn, Armagnac)

Maltbarn always has these splendid labels (and distillates)… Colour: full gold. Nose: there's varnish, calvados, green apple, a hint of rubber, very roasted almonds, even a sour note (white wine from the region, Côtes de Gascogne, sometimes you can count your vertebrae as you drink it, that's quite handy). I adore this nose. With water: similar but with more varnish and a fresh paint scent. Mouth (neat): superb, very taut, green, sour, spirited, with citrus and green apples. An old armagnac that awakens you, it's perfect. With water: the same. A sublime rustic and rural side, we're not in Rue du Faubourg St Honoré. Finish: long and refreshing. A bit of grapefruit in the aftertaste. Comments: as the saying goes, happiness is in the meadow.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Vallein Tercinier 48 yo 1975/2023 (52.1%, Silver Seal, Fins bois, cask #235, 295 bottles)

In theory, nothing should go wrong here… It's good to keep using 'racket' bottles, Silver Seal! Colour: bronze. Maybe some studs or patches? Remember the green Springbank from Cadenhead... Nose: there's mead, apple juice, green oak honeydew, greengage plums, a hint of menthol, garden soil, notes of old wine, even yellow wine... It's hard not to be influenced by the colour. With water: little change. Notes of pine needles and inevitably Italian bitters. Mouth (neat): it's really different, very rustic, with bark, apple peels, citrus (grapefruit), very pronounced cinnamon... With water: it gets back on the straight path but remains focused on the bitters, amaro, even gentian. Finish: very long, lemony and bitter. Cynar, Fernet-Branca... Comments: no joke, it's not surprising that an Italian chose this cask. It's very distinctive and spectacular, just not entirely kosher (but S., who cares!).
SGP:571 - 89 points.

Garreau 48 yo 1974/2024 (51.2%, Old Master Spirits, Bas-armagnac, 152 bottles)

Fully matured in Garreau's wet cellar. By the way, why is it marked as 48 years old and not 49 or 50? Because the vintage refers to the year of the harvest, while the ageing count only starts at the time of filling (in Cognac it officially starts on the 1st of April following the harvest). Got it? Colour: amber. Nose: yes, well it's wonderful. Aged pear brandy, lilies and lily of the valley, pine honey, peach liqueur, kirsch, pomegranate, prickly pear… Oh, it's beautiful, somewhat halfway between an armagnac and a cognac on the nose, in my humble opinion. With water: and there we go, mentholated herbs including, well, mint. It's bright. Mouth (neat): decidedly more rustic on the palate. Green fruits, apple peel, a bit of varnish and almonds, kirsch, a dab of glue, toasted sesame… With water: the fruits make a strong comeback, but the kirsch and bitter almond aspect remains, lurking in the dark (what?). Bitter oranges also come to the fore, which we love. Finish: rather long and 'restored'. Plenty of almond paste, white currants, blackcurrant jam, then an artisanal kirsch once again in the aftertaste. Comments: as they say around here, "it speaks volumes".
SGP:661 - 91 points.

Château de Gaube 50 yo 1972/2023 (44.4%, Decadent Drinks, Notable Age Statements, Bas-armagnac)

Nobody writes it the same. Bas-Armagnac, Bas-armagnac, bas-armagnac, Bas Armagnac, bas armagnac… So very typically French. And what if that had absolutely no importance? Colour: amber. Nose: wood glue, peach, apricots, wax polish, a minimal touch of coconut, a bit of camphor, a hint of menthol, and then increasingly honeyed notes (heather) and plums of all kinds, all perfectly ripe. A few dried figs, too. Mouth: this time it does not wane, the wood impact is very reasonable (not pine wood), and all the fruits sing their hearts out, whether fresh, tinned, or in jam form. Especially the mirabelle plums and apricots. No hesitation here. Finish: very long, with indeed slight resinous touches, but also lovely jams and always a bit of honey, heather and pine mixed together. That makes for a heck of a family honey! It's amusing, there's a very slight soapy edge right at the end – that's perfect, it leaves your palate as clean as a new penny. Comments: superb selection.
SGP:661 - 91 points.

Mauxion 'L45' (60%, OB for Wu Dram Clan, Paradis Series 3, Petite Champagne, 240 bottles, 2023)

It's quite enigmatic; they speak of maturation in a very humid, semi-buried cellar that would help preserve the alcohol strength, while in Scotland, the opposite happens — the colder and damper the cellar, the more the 'angels' take their share. We'll try to clarify all that, but for now, let's focus on the liquid... Colour: amber. Nose: I was expecting a mixed martial arts fighter, but on the contrary, it's all sweetness and kindness, with nougat, praline, milk chocolate, almond milk, biscuits, caramel cream, marshmallow... And it's very beautiful. Are we sure about the 60% vol? We shall see on the palate... With water: the apricots come out, blood oranges, a bit of lemon balm, sweet liquorice, the proverbial peaches, a hint of mocha... It's of great elegance. Mouth (neat): yes, it's very strong. It has a very spicy and herbaceous side, but I doubt it will stay that way. With water: a great fruity freshness while it's also slightly herbaceous. Old Bénédictine, apricot liqueur, verbena, mirabelle plum liqueur, some sultanas, a bit of earth, three mushrooms, an old English cigarette, a small piece of sandalwood, jasmine tea, a bit of cinnamon of course but a very moderate pepper... Finish: long, smooth, firm nonetheless, not tired in the least. For a 1945! Comments: it reminds me a little of the very old malts by G&M that were also bottled at a surprisingly high strength (Livet, Mortlach etc.). Anyway, it's a very peaceful Cognac. Much needed. And magnificent, of course, but don't taste it if you don't have water available. For example, in the middle of the Sahara or the Mojave desert (now that's clever, S.).
SGP:651 - 92 points.

(Thank you Fuji)

Check the index of all cognacs and armagnacs we've tasted so far