Hermitage 20yo

Hermitage 20yo

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
Style: Single distillery
House: Hermitage
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 42%

N: Raisins, leather, tobacco leaf, tonka bean, black pepper.

M: Heavy body, slippery, syrupy, slightly chewy.

T: Bitter. Cherry, lemon zest, raisins, tonka bean, tobacco leaf, hints of watermelon.

F: Long. Cherry, raisins, tobacco leaf, leather, hints of watermelon.

Comments:

A rather medicinal tasting cognac, with a lush vanilla-like flavour note that I liken to tonka bean. There's also some intense cherry notes on the tongue and the finish, rather like cherry-flavoured court medicine, and some light rancio, presenting as tobacco leaf and leather. It's not quite as delicious as the 45yo Segonzac, but it's very good indeed.

Turns out 20yo cognac is indeed delicious. Well of course it is - time is always a friend of a spirit. As long as you age it properly, in wood, and it has to be good wood.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Pere Magloire XO Calvados

Pere Magloire XO Calvados

Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
Style: Single distillery
House: Pere Magloire
Colour: Amber copper
ABV: 40%

N: baked apples, cinnamon, honey, blackcurrant cordial, hints of butter.

M: Medium body, loosens, slippery, turns airy.

T: Sweet. Cinnamon, baked apples, lemon zest, lime zest, butterscotch.

F: Long. Lemon zest, butterscotch, cinnamon, raisins.

Comments:

Another Pays d'Auge house, a region that seems to deliver bold spirits, lots of flavour, with intense apple notes. There's a lot of other stuff besides apple too, buttery dairy notes, some spice, and some really pleasant blackcurrant.

Unlike whisky, there's a real dearth of material available online about different kinds of brandies. There's quite a bit on cognac, a fair bit on armagnac, not a lot on calvados, and precious little on all the other categories of brandies that I've tasted and reviewed. In my own little way I hope to add to the knowledge available online for these great drinks.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hermitage 45yo Segonzac (2nd Release)

Hermitage 45yo Segonzac (2nd Release)

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
Style: Single distillery
House: Hermitage
Colour: Walnut
ABV: 43.5%

N: molasses, raisins, tobacco leaf, prunes, dried apricots, dried pears.

M: Medium body, tingly, cool, slightly astringent

T: Sweet. Menthol, raisins, leather, watermelon, dried pears, black tea, hints of tobacco leaf.

F: Long. Menthol, watermelon, cinnamon, dried pears, hints of leather.

Comments:

Well now, this is a real treat - 45 years in wood, heaps of flavour, just a little rancio, taking the form of a leather tobacco pouch. I think this is the second release, the first release was just a tad stronger in ABV terms. Age has somehow given this brandy an intense booming flavour profile. It goes on and on and on, I was still tasting this the day after, like the best malt whiskies.

I particularly loved the menthol notes on the tongue and on the finish. It was cooling and refreshing, making this a summer dram rather than a winter one.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Somerset 5yo Cider Brandy

Somerset 5yo Cider Brandy

Brandy: Cider brandy
From: Somerset
Style: Single distillery
House: Somerset Cider Brandy
Colour: Polished pine
ABV 42%

N: vanilla, honey, fresh cut grass, stewed apples, caramel.

M: Light body, thickens, slippery, warm

T: bitter sour. Fresh cut grass, fresh baked bread, honey, prunes, cinnamon.

F: Short. Prunes, cinnamon, fresh baked bread, vanilla.

Comments:

Turns out that England has apple based spirits too! I love Calvados, the intense appley base flavour, with other fruit and sugary notes layered on top. The base apples contribute a lot to the character of the spirit. Let's see if the same holds true for its English cousin - cider brandy. This spirit is from Somerset, and it looks like it might be the only such producer in the county.

It's different from Calvados, much more herbal and spicy, much less caramel and butterscotch. It's fresher, not as sweet, and is well-aged. I enjoyed this very much, and I look forward to trying the older expressions. I believe there's a 10 year old version, which I'm now going to seek out.

Verdict:

I like this

NAUD VSOP

NAUD VSOP

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
Style: Single distillery
House: NAUD
Colour: Dark amber
ABV: 40%

N: Dried figs, almonds, vanilla, honey, peaches

M: light body, cools, slippery, thickens slightly

T: Sweet salty. Damson jam, dried figs, sea salt, olives, honey, fresh baked bread.

F: Medium. Fresh baked bread, olives, black tea, peaches.

Comments:

This is the best 'young' cognac that I've tried so far. It's around 4 years old, and I must say that it has reinvigorated my interest in young cognacs. I was not overly enamoured with VS and VSOP spirits, because I felt they were harsh, and one dimensional, without the complexity that I like so much. This one though, is very good indeed - lots of fruit, but with an undertone of savouriness, olive brine perhaps, that fades to a bready, sweet-savoury finish.

The house is family-owned, with its own vineyards, and this is of their own make. The quality of the spirit is evidence in the column of owning your own spirit from fruit to bottle, where the master can control all the variables to his or her liking.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Villa Zarri 1991 23yo

Villa Zarri 1991 23yo

Brandy: Stravecchio
From: Emilia Romagna
House: Villa Zarri
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Copper amber
ABV: 45%

N: Orange peel, red grapes, honeydew melons, pear drops, watermelon skin.

M: Light body, loosens, astringent, tingly.

T: Bitter sweet. Shortcrust pastry, orange blossom honey, orange peel, raisins, watermelon skin, cinnamon, hints of camphor.

F: Long. Orange peel, peaches, honeydew melon, cinnamon.

Comments:

This brandy is... different. It's got far less body than say a cognac of equivalent age, managing somehow to remain light and even airy on the tongue. But the flavours are complex and intense, with plenty of citrus and honey, with something grassy and herbal - let's say watermelon skin. It then eases out slowly and gradually, with a lovely sweet finish with a hint of spice.

Villa Zarri is another vineyard in Emilia Romagna that mostly makes wine, but also makes brandy with its best grapes. I really enjoyed this - it's almost as if brandy is a side hustle in Italy and Spain, and is made with verve and love, tasting truly excellent. Let's call this one magnificent, at least for my palate.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Chateau de Laubade 1992

Chateau de Laubade 1992

Brandy: Armagnac
Region: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Laubade
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 40%

N: Raisins, blueberries, strawberries, honey, peaches, vanilla, hints of cinnamon.

M: Light body, astringent, hot, thickens.

T: Sweet sour. Raisins, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, honey, orange peel.

F: Medium. Walnuts, camphor, honey, blueberries.

Comments:

This is a blast from the past - I tasted this armagnac on 21 October 2009, somewhere. No, I can't quite remember where either, it was probably as a digestif in a restaurant. It was probably the first vintage armagnac I'd ever had, and I clearly found it incredibly fruity. Lots of sweet estery notes, although not much of that classic armagnac pruneaux notes.

I noted at the time that it didn't share many characteristics with the previous Chateau de Laubade (age statement only, no vintage) that I'd had, save for a wave of orange peel. I'm not sure my palate has advanced since then - I may now be able to distinguish between armagnac and cognac (mostly) but I still could not tell the difference between distilleries or producers. To be honest, it's still hit and miss with whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.