Cognac is back with some knack


October 19, 2025

Cognac is back with some knack
(Wonders from 1994 to 1939)

Aren't our headlines always absolutely brilliant — I honestly don’t know how we’ve not won an international award for them yet. Right then, let’s kick off with one of our now-traditional aperitifs…

Otard *** Spécial (40%, OB, +/-1960)

Straight from the Château de Cognac where, according to what the label tells us, King François 1er was born in 1494. Colour: deep gold. Nose: classic indeed, with a rather pronounced and wholly positive OBE, and I rather doubt this nose was quite so lovely at birth, given that it’s merely a modest ***. A delightful combination of sultanas, peach syrup, linden honey and orange blossom, with not the faintest fault to report. One wonders whether some older Cognacs found their way into the vatting, perhaps due to a ‘cognac lake/lac’, the French equivalent of the ‘whisky loch’ in Scotland. But let’s not get carried away with conjecture... Mouth: ah but this really is very good, fairly rich yet ever fresh, jammy but without excess, with plenty of figs and peaches at first, then moving towards honey and thyme infusion. A trace of salted liquorice, quite an original twist in this context. Finish: fairly long and still rather lovely, with a discreet toastiness of the most respectable kind. Comments: doubtless some very fine crus nestled in this little Otard from some 65 years ago. One to keep an eye on at auction, I should think...
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Now let’s shine a spotlight on three star-producers, vertically, from 1994 down to 1939… In no particular order: Grosperrin, J-L Pasquet, Vallein Tercinier.

Vallein Tercinier 'Lot 94' (48.1%, Through the Grapevine, LMDW, Fins Bois, 90 bottles, 2025)

A Fins Bois own-estate from Vallein Tercinier... Colour: full gold. Nose: one of those bottles with but a single flaw, that being how utterly predictable they are when it comes to quality. Here we have damp earth and forest floor à la old white Burgundy, followed by aged wood in the cedar or even sandalwood register, then a neat array of dried fruits and preserved ones, all wrapped in mentholated touches and wisps of incense. Simply irresistible, by thunder! Mouth: firmer than expected, starting out on mint leaves and a little fir resin, then camphor and even a hint of Tiger Balm, quite the surprise, before bringing in liquorice wood, gentian, and eventually some restrained dried fruits. This firmer side makes it rather splendidly ‘malternative’, if I may say so. Finish: long, turning towards a combination of walnut and crème de menthe. Comments: more robust and less fruity than the older Cognacs from the house, but perhaps all the more quintessentially ‘Fins Bois’. The fact is, we adore this as well.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

Jean-Luc Pasquet 'Lot 86' (45.3%, OB, Kirsch Import Awakening Series, Grande Champagne, 2025)

A new bottling unveiled at Whisky Live Hamburg just last weekend. Colour: gold. Nose: at first nosing, it’s far fruitier than the 1994, though no less structured, especially once a rather earthy liquorice note begins to make itself known, with, believe it or not, wee touches of pale ale and even a faint smokiness. I swear it. As for the fruits, we find the usual peaches and melons, then a little orange, but all in rather discreet fashion. Mouth: I promise you there’s a bit of brown ale, along with currants, dried figs and dates, a faint charcoal note, then quite a bit of green tea, lending it a slightly dry and rustic edge. Finish: fairly long, even drier, on tea and tobacco. Citrus notes linger in the aftertaste. Comments: lovely bitter tones in this utterly charming Cognac that feels ever so slightly pastoral.
SGP:461 - 89 points.

Vallein Tercinier 'Lot 78' (48.4%, OB, Kirsch Import Awakening Series, Grande Champagne, 2025)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s almost pure orange blossom honey to begin with, then come a few soft spices—cinnamon, liquorice, star anise—followed by ripe rather than dried fruits, with mellow apples, nectarines, and even hints of rose-infused banana compote. Well, I’m not entirely sure such a thing exists, but I find this nose rather dazzling. Mouth: a slight touch of old Calvados at first (those mellow apples again) and some tobacco notes, then a little flurry of herbs—aniseed, mint, even lovage—before the citrus elements come marching in. A light touch of green tea as well. Finish: long, mostly on honey and citrus, with additional notes of liquorice and mint. Comments: what would you have me say...
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Grosperrin 'N°67' (40.6%, OB, Héritage, Petite Champagne, 2025)

1967—Hendrix, the Yardbirds, the Doors, Cream, Engelbert Humperdinck... Well, perhaps not Engelbert Humperdinck. Colour: deep gold. Nose: Maître Guilhem at what seems to be his finest. Granted, he didn’t distil this one himself, but he selected it—and in this context, that’s nearly the same thing. A devilishly fruity affair, with all manner of herbal infusions, and above all, a clarity and expressiveness one wouldn’t quite expect at just over 40% vol. That said, it does seem Cognac handles lower strengths far better than malt whisky. Figs and honeys in an infernal tango. Mouth: not a hint of tiredness, rather a medley of various oranges, prickly pear and pomegranate. Admittedly, there’s the faintest nose-diving after a good fifteen seconds on the palate, but a gorgeous Assam-style tea steps in without missing a beat. Finish: not eternal, of course, but possessed of rare elegance. The honeys are sublime. Comments: kindly disregard all that business about Engelbert Humperdinck. Think Menuhin instead.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Jean-Luc Pasquet 'Lot 63' (45.6%, Through the Grapevine, LMDW, Grande Champagne, 90 bottles, 2025)

Colour: full gold. Nose: drier and more on the woody side, though in a register reminiscent of a well-stocked humidor and sandalwood, then we drift into fruit skins—apricots, pears, peaches—plus touches of vanilla, honeysuckle, acacia blossom, linden, sweet woodruff, and even the faintest hint of lily of the valley. All this with great finesse, even a touch of discretion, which is absolutely not a flaw, quite the opposite, especially in today’s world (not the most helpful comment, S.) Mouth: a rather unexpected liveliness, almost lemony, with passion fruit and then pear sorbet, all wrapped up in soft liquorice and a trace of wild carrot. Truth be told, it’s pristine and quite stunning. The lemon–liquorice duo works far better than one might have imagined. Finish: it doesn’t budge an inch and remains on those deliciously fresh and taut notes for a good fifteen caudalies. At the very least. Comments: just as the nose was discreet and well-mannered, the palate is fresh, energetic, and just a little bit cheeky. We love it.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

To wrap things up, I’ve got an intriguing duo for you: a 1939 and a 1945. We could’ve saved them to mark some WWII anniversary or other, but hey, this is Whiskyfun, capeesh?

Grosperrin 'N°45' (52.2%, OB, Héritage, Fins Bois, 166 litres, 2025)

The vintage of victory and peace, of course, even if officially this isn’t a vintage Cognac. The bottling strength is particularly high for something this old, so one would imagine it was transferred into demijohns fairly early. Or perhaps it was aged entirely in a dry cellar. Colour: copper amber. Nose: far richer than most of its predecessors, more honeyed, with more raisins, dates, dried pears, and even a faint touch of molasses. What one might call a proper ‘old-school’ Cognac, with perhaps a bit of ‘seasoning’ during cask preparation, eighty or seventy-nine years ago. Or not. With water: some mint and herbal teas make an appearance, along with a peach skin touch. Mouth (neat): oh! Almost simple, which, again, is by no means a flaw here—quite the opposite—with notes of honey, triple sec, maple syrup and a little instant coffee. Old-school indeed. With water: it opens like an oyster once water is added, branching out into marmalade citrus, even more honey and maple syrup. A bit of peanut butter as well, would you believe. Finish: long, more classic, more graceful too, and in any case, the freshness in this V-Cognac is absolutely remarkable. Light tobacco and wood in the aftertaste. Comments: when compared with what’s happening in malt these days, even including the very old ones, it’s hard to see how this could be rated at anything less than...
SGP:561 - 92 points.

Let’s leap over the Second World War to bring this decidedly superlative little session to a close…

Grosperrin 'N°39' (45.5%, OB, Héritage, Grande Champagne, 118 litres, 2025)

One always learns something interesting from Grosperrin’s labels. In this case, that a donkey entered the cellar during the removal of the cask from the estate at Salles-d’Angles. Though one suspects it may have rather been the Wehrmacht that did something similar when this lot may have been first filled, in spring of 1940. You should remember that in Cognac, the vintage refers to the year of the harvest, while distillation must be done before March 31 the year after. But not sure these rules did apply back in 1940. Colour: golden amber. Nose: dazzling freshness, precision and fruitiness, with a surprisingly mineral edge—wet chalk, slate—alongside honey, peaches, and, would you believe, traces of old malt whisky. Also a little salted butter caramel, as in a very old Sauternes that’s finally digested its sugars. Once again, there’s even a bit of peanut butter this time again, though we’re well aware that’s a rather vulgar descriptor. Still, we truly adore proper, unadulterated peanut butter. Mouth: let us dispense with the wood notes straightaway, here personified by a touch of English tea, and focus on this extraordinary pear and banana ganache profile. Also some mango, fir honey, and still that salted butter caramel. Finish: at this point it gets just a touch tea-ish and perhaps doesn’t quite hold its ground against the 1945, which we find a notch above, but it remains an utter delight. Surprising apple notes in the aftertaste. Comments: still very much up there, of course, just slightly less elevated than the splendid 1945. I mean, the N°45.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Well, what a session, truly, what a session! You’ll say that with a line-up of JG, JLP, and VT, things were bound to be on the right track anyway. Sharp observation — bravo!

(Thank you, Morten)

Check the index of all cognacs we've tasted