Máxime Trijol VS

Máxime Trijol VS

Brandy: Cognac

From: Grande Champagne

House: Máxime Trijol

Style: Single distillery

Colour: Dark gold

ABV: 40%

N: Cloves, sea salt, honey, raisins, hints of leather. 

M: Medium body, slippery, loosens slightly, mouth coating. 

T: Sweet salty. Honey, raisins, cherries, leather, white grapes, vanilla. 

F: Medium. Cloves, honey, white grapes, cherries. 

Comments:

This cognac tastes fairly young, with some saline notes on the nose, but layered over with plenty of fruit. There’s a bit of a cough mixture vibe on the tongue, and there’s plenty of spice on the finish. Simple, but enjoyable. 

Verdict:

I like this. 

Máxime Trijol VSOP

Máxime Trijol VSOP

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
House: Máxime Trijol
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber gold
ABV: 40%

N: Vanilla, black tea, honeysuckle, dried apricots, leather, thyme.

M: Light body, loose, thickens slightly, a little sticky.

T: Sweet. Dried apricots, cherries, honey, raisins, sugar cane.

F: Medium. Sugar cane, honey, cherries, hints of thyme.

Comments:

I file this VSOP as 'in between' the last XO I had and the last VS I had. I suppose this means that age designations do work, in some general sense, with brandies. Indeed, based on the limited sample that I've had so far, they are surprisingly reliable. I found that I could tell older brandies from younger, simply from how the flavours meshed together. However, within the categories, it was difficult to pinpoint relative age.

Anyway, I found this particular brandy quite intensely sweet. It was perhaps even a little sickly, although it remained just the right side of the line for me. The top-notes were dried stone fruit, even some sugar cane, but there was sufficient herby fragrance to keep it interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.