Frapin 1270

Frapin 1270

Brandy: Cognac

From: Grande Champagne

House: Frapin

Style: Single distillery

Colour: Amber

ABV: 40%

N: Raisins, strawberries, candied oranges, black tea, hints of coffee. 

M: Medium body, cool, slippery, expands. 

T: Sweet. Strawberries, vanilla ice cream, coffee, fresh baked bread, cherries, hints of chocolate. 

F: Medium. Coffee, cherries, chocolate, vanilla ice cream. 

Comments:

This tastes like an entry-level expression from Frapin, and is certainly lighter than some of the other cognacs that I’ve tried from that house. It’s not as deep or intense, instead, it’s rather gentle, with lighter fruit notes and some bitter sweet coffee notes. Highly enjoyable nevertheless.  

Verdict:

I like this. 

Frapin VSOP

Frapin VSOP

Brandy: Cognac

From: Grande Champagne

Style: Blend

House: Frapin

Colour: Amber

ABV: 40%

N: prunes, raisins, cinnamon, honey, hints of red grapes. 

M: medium body, cool, slippery, loosens

T: Sweet. Menthol, blackcurrant cordial, honey, cinnamon, red grapes, hints of rolled oats. 

F: Medium. Menthol, blackcurrant cordial, fresh baked bread, cinnamon. 

Comments:

A blended Frapin, but one that displays the same grapey, fruity flavours as the XO I had recently. Hopefully this is the house character. I’m very keen to try more expressions from this house. 

Are there house characters in cognac, just as there are distillery characters with whisky? I don’t know for sure but there seems to be a house style for some brandies. There are relatively few independent expressions of course, so the houses can blend distillate to create a certain style without indies coming in and mucking up their branding. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot XO

Frapin Chateau de Fontpinot XO

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
House: Frapin
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber, red highlights
ABV: 41%

N: raisins, figs, dried apricots, dried orange peel, cinnamon, dark chocolate.

M: light body, slippery, loose, tingly.

T: Bitter sweet. Raisins, figs, almonds, elderflower, orange peel, hints of coffee.

F: Medium. Figs, elderflower, cinnamon, coffee, hints of dark chocolate.

Comments:

This is my first Frapin, a very first taste of what the smallest of the great cognac houses can do. Rather surprisingly, it's superb. This is an XO, but it's not a particularly premium one. Yet it's intense and rounded, yet refreshing and light. There is a gigantic wedge of dried fruit, shoved into my mouth, but it's offset with some floral, spicy notes, even some slightly bitter top-notes reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate.

This brandy has something I prize very much - complexity allied to intensity. There are many interesting dimensions to explore, and I very much enjoyed sitting contemplatively with the glass in my hand. The pleasure I derived from nosing, tasting and thinking this beauty was immense. I look forward to trying more brandies from this house.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.