Bossard XO

Bossard XO

Brandy: Cognac
From: ?
House: Bossard
Style: Blend
Colour: Chinese tea
ABV: 40%

N: Toffee, caramel, chocolate, sea salt, seaweed, hints of vanilla

M: Medium body, loosens, airy, slightly oily

T: Bitter sweet. Blackcurrants, milk chocolate, caramel, burnt toffee, lemon zest, hints of seaweed.

F: Long. Lemon zest, burnt toffee, vanilla, marshmallows.

Comments:

This is my first brandy from this house, although that's not surprising. I had this at a Chinese banquet, which was surprising, since the brandy served at these banquets tends to be from Martell, Courvoisier or Remy Martin. It's not what I expected, the red fruit and raisin notes that tend to prevail in brandy were almost absent from the nose, and were instead replaced by a chocolatey, caramelly sort of flavour. It was quite neutral, almost rum-like. On the tongue, some fruit notes appeared, but it wasn't quite as intense as some other brandies that I've tried.

Later, I googled this and discovered that it's an entry level bottling available in Germany and some Eastern European countries. The producer seems to have entirely disappeared off the internet.

Verdict:

Not bad.