Roger Groult Reserve

Roger Groult Reserve

Brandy: Calvados
From: Pays d'Auge
House: Roger Groult
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Pale green gold
ABV: 40%

N: Green apples, raisins, cloves, camphor, peaches, fresh cut grass.

M: Light body, warm, volatile, tingly.

T: Bitter. Cloves, cinnamon, camphor, pomegranate molasses, vanilla, thyme.

F: Short. Camphor, cocoa nibs, green apples, pomegranate molasses.

Comments:

I've recorded some thoughts on a couple of expressions in the premium end of the Roger Groult range, and it's time to have a taste of the entry level expression. This is probably less than 3 years old. It smells fantastic, rich, herbal and complex. There's very malic green apples, some sweet peaches, and so many vegetal, herbal notes.

On the tongue however, the sweet notes largely disappear, and the herbal notes take over. It's spicy and fragrant though, with a slightly harsh under-note of camphor, very reminiscent of Chinese herbal medicine. The apples and other fruity notes reappear on the finish, alongside bitter cocoa.

So, for Roger Groult at least, the premium expressions hold up by maintaining the beautiful intense notes on the nose through to the tongue. For this brandy, the herbal, bitter notes take over. It's not unpleasant though, and I enjoyed the chance to taste a different sort of calvados.

Verdict:

I like this.

Vecchia Romagna 35yo Riserva

Vecchia Romagna 35yo Riserva

Brandy: Stravecchio
From: Emilia Romagna
House: Vecchia Romagna
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber gold
ABV: 40%

N: damson jam, raisins, dried apricots, cinnamon, blackberry cordial, hints of konbu.

M: Heavy body, slippery, unctuous, mouth coating.

T: Sweet salty. Damson jam, cinnamon, black tea, konbu, dried apricots, cornflakes, hints of dark chocolate.

F: Long. Cinnamon, dried apricots, cornflakes, black tea, hints of mint.

Comments:

Time - there's nothing like it for aging spirits, and it's as true for brandy as it is for whisky. Time passes quicker in wood than in glass, although it does pass in glass. 35 years in wood has made this brandy smooth and unctuous, lipsmackingly good in the mouth. It's no slouch on the tongue either, chockful of dried apricots and cinnamon, with a savoury hint of konbu.

Time has a flavour, although it's undefinable. It's almost a merging of flavours, a shaving off of harsh edges, somehow blending all the various flavour notes into a harmonious whole. And you can always tell, I think, if a lot of time has gone into a particular spirit.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Metaxa 7 Stars

Metaxa 7 Stars

Brandy: Greek Brandy
From: Athens
House: Metaxa
Style: Single distillery, infusion
Colour: Amber
ABV: 40%

N: honey, red grapes, thyme, orange peel, pistachio, hints of mastic.

M: medium body, slippery, loosens, mouth filling.

T: Sweet. Thyme, honey, orange peel, pine, marmalade, rose, raisins, hints of star anise.

F: Short. Mint, pistachio, mastic, orange peel, red grapes.

Comments:

Is this a brandy or not? Well, I don't know. It's not pure spirit though, it's a mixture of distillate of different ages, and fortified, aromatised wines (vermouth?). I can certainly taste a number of botanicals, and the clarity of flavour must certainly come from the infusion of those botanicals rather than happenstance of aging.

I guess it's closest to brandy, so it counts for the purposes of this blog, and since I can't find any other Greek brandy brands (except maybe some very rare pomace brandies, I'm going to go ahead and call it Greek brandy.

It's very herbal indeed, and sweet to boot. Maybe it's an acquired taste. I drank an entire sample with an open mind, and I certainly enjoyed the clear, strong botanical flavours.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hermitage 2005 Chez Richon

Hermitage 2005 Chez Richon

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
House: Hermitage
Style: Single vintage
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 40%

N: Red grapes, black tea, soy sauce, tangerines, hints of coffee.

M: Light body, loosens, slippery, slightly tingly.

T: Sweet salty. Toffee, red grapes, peaches, black tea, coffee, hints of chocolate.

F: Medium. Chocolate, black tea, tangerines, hints of soy sauce.

Comments:

In the whisky world, the role played by a blender is somewhat underappreciated, because most blends that people encounter tend to be aimed at the casual drinker rather than the enthusiast, and therefore are priced at a relatively low point. And because one gets what one pays for, they taste accordingly. But there are some amazing blends out there, because the blender's skill is to showcase a certain style of whisky by combining alright, good, and spectacular distillates in such a way that the result is delicious.

In the brandy world, I have less intuition for the role a negociant plays, but I understood a little more after tasting this brandy. It's really very good indeed. It's young, I wouldn't say it's XO, but it's got a deep richness of flavour with savoury umami notes that burst on the tongue. There's also some bitter complexity in the finish that I enjoyed very much.

Must find some more expressions from Hermitage - older ones, if the young brandies are anything to go by. The oldies must be truly spectacular.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Maltbarn Lot 86 no 137 (Vallein Tercinier 32yo 1986/2019)

Maltbarn Lot 86 no 137 (Vallein Tercinier 32yo 1986/2019)

Brandy: Cognac
From: Bons Bois
House: Vallein Tercinier
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Dark gold
ABV: 44.5%

N: Raisins, leather, sea salt, Roquefort cheese, rancio, peach cobbler

M: Light body, slippery, cool, tingly.

T: Sweet. Raisins, prunes, peach cobbler, marmalade, rancio, leather.

F: Long. Black pepper, black tea, leather, marmalade.

Comments:

This is something slightly different, and maybe more what I'm used to. It's brandy, bottled by a whisky specialist. Maltbarn is a German independent bottler, and this is their first brandy that I've tasted. I gather they partner with Vallein Tercinier, a cognac house that is both a negociant and a distiller with their own vineyards. This particular expression is, like single cask whiskies, bottled from the Vallein Tercinier vineyards in the Bon Bois region, of a single year's vintage, with a specific age statement.

It's also the strongest brandy that I've sampled so far (if only just), and I have to say that the additional couple of percent of strength does make a difference. The flavours are rounder, starker, and more intense. No water required either, for me, although I know that this is probably personal to me, and a legacy of years of killing my taste buds with cask strength whisky.

The 32 years of aging stands out, there's a lovely leathery note, with a rather strong and fragrant blue cheese note on the nose. This is very well-defined rancio. Alongside, there are heaps of jammy, fruity notes, with perhaps a smattering of floral flavours as well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Chateau de Laubade XO 15yo

Chateau de Laubade XO 15yo

Brandy: Armagnac
From: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Laubade
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 40%

N: Orange peel, soy sauce, strawberries, black pepper, roast ham, menthol.

M: Light body, thickens in the mouth, slightly oily.

T: Sweet sour. Orange peel, strawberries, menthol, marmalade.

F: Medium. Strawberries, roses.

Comments:

I drank this brandy a decade ago. I don't know exactly where, but it was probably a restaurant somewhere in London. My tasting notes are slightly odd:

" Very salty and strong in the nose, with a sharp bite of menthol. Once tasted however, this armagnac becomes a different creature - sweet on the tongue, with a little teasing hints of mint as a reminder of the robust, salty, tangy nose. The finish is also quite gentle, although it would be hard to top that first whiff from the lip of the glass!"

It's interesting to see how much my palate has changed. I feel I understand layers better, and I have more patience, simply sipping and letting the flavours develop in my mouth. It would be interesting to taste this brandy again to see what I would record, but I believe it has been discontinued, more's the pity.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva

Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva

Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Dark amber, hints of red
ABV: 42%

N: Raisins, red grapes, walnuts, candied oranges, orange blossom honey, dark chocolate, hints of iron filings.

M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, mouth coating.

T: Sweet. Walnuts, walnut skins, raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, dark chocolate, orange blossom honey, hints of lemon curd.

F: Long. Red grapes, walnut skins, iron filings, candied oranges, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Well, this is a lot like its sibling, the Carta Real. I believe that one is older, yet I felt this, the Solera Gran Reserva, had many more layers, despite it being relatively less intense. There were at least three distinct layers, or flavour groups. The first, and most obvious, was the intense sweetness, almost reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez sherry. This first layer had overtones of red grapes, raisins and orange honey. Then, there was a bitter, slightly metallic layer underneath that, mostly dark chocolate and walnuts. And last of all, something citrusy and light, which lifted the brandy for me.

Is it possible to find too many flavour notes in your spirit? Perhaps. If so, this one may be the example that proves the rule. Taking a step back and looking at my tasting notes, I am baffled as to how many flavour notes I managed to find. Normally, it's no more than 4 to 5 per category, but here I am pushing 6 or 7. Yet I distinctly remember tasting them. This brandy is certainly unusual in its complexity, and I really enjoyed drinking it.

Verdict:

Magnificent.