Taylor C.

Avis écrits : 41 (see reviews)

Note moyenne attribuée : 86

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Biographie :

French wine, and the concept of terroir, captured my interest early on. Naturally, curiosity took me to spirits, in particular Cognac. Today I'm proud to be a member of the Cognac Expert team managing B2B projects, working on Cognac Expert Originals, and writing bottle reviews for the English Blog. I love to taste anything and everything - rum/rhum, whisky(ey), Armagnac, etc. - but no other spirit grabs my attention quite like Cognac, and all of its subtleties and nuance. Santé !

Audry XO Cognac

79 /100

On first pour, I smell vanilla and A&W Vanilla Cream Soda - that’s not one I come across very often. With some time in the glass, the vanilla and cream remains present but is then joined by gingerbread, speculoos, and warm baking spices. I get the feeling the baking spice notes will transition to the actual flavors as well, but I doubt it will be a spicy cognac. So nothing prickly, tingly, or aggressive here; it seems far too well-behaved for that. As it opened up more and more, the rancio notes became apparent. I get this often with old Banyuls wines (try Domaine La Tour Vieille’s Vin de Meditation - it’s mind-blowing). The nose is calm, measured, and absolutely beautiful. I’d be content to just smell it all night.

In the mouth, we have a classy, refined, composed cognac. Dare I say that it is easy-going? Too easy-going? It shows its age, but it’s perfectly situated between youthful freshness and aged delicacy; it just rides the line between those two zones. The texture is velvety, quite creamy in fact, and the balance is remarkable. The flavors are of gingerbread, speculoos, comforting baking spices, and some fruits: raisins, dried cherry, and perhaps some plum. This is not a fruity cognac, though. It should be added that there is a tender sweetness to this cognac, but I won’t go so far as to say it is sweet. For wines with a touch of residual sugar, the term “tendre” can be applied. I think “tendre” works to describe this cognac’s sweet flavors.

I should also mention that smelling the empty glass was a treat itself. A milk chocolate, or tootsie roll, note came out. I thought of it as milk chocolate with a creamy streak in it.

If I had to dig deep for one little niggle, I’d say that I’d be curious to see what this cognac is like if it were a little more assertive in the mouth. Could bottling at 42 degrees or 43 degrees alcohol give this cognac a touch more drive? I should be careful what I wish for, though, as doing so could throw off its already perfect balance.

Lastly, this is great gateway Cognac due to its all around easy access. Anyone can get into Cognac fast with this one, but he or she will outgrow it quite soon. To be sure, this is good stuff, but if you're already well along in your Cognac journey I look into more characterful Cognacs.

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Saveur

Bois 6/10

Pimenter 6/10

Fruit 5/10

Fleur 3/10

Conception de bouteille / emballage 3/5

Où est l'amour? Ordinaire Joli Beau Un spectacle à voir !

Le rapport qualité prix 3/5

Trop cher Low Moyenne Bonne affaire Voler