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.