Willie J.

Avis écrits : 47 (see reviews)

Note moyenne attribuée : 83

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Taste without complexes

65 /100

According to the English text on the front label this is ‘a generous cognac to taste without complexes’. I’m not sure that’s exactly the meaning they were looking for, but it’s really good advice (maybe preconceptions is what was intended, but maybe not). The price point indicates relative youth and the colour indicates no added colouring. On top of that there’s a statement of no filtration. This is not the standard approach to cognac which piques my interest.
The nose is lemon citrusy in a way that I haven’t detected in cognac before, but there’s also grapefruit and gooseberry enveloped by a green leafiness. I find it reminiscent of spirits that have been matured in well used wood. Perhaps it’s not as young as the price might suggest. There are some spicy notes as well, but they are subdued. I find the nose to be subtle and not without charm.
Initial arrival on the palate is a bit disappointing though. There’s a sweet grapes hit, but otherwise not a lot going on and you have to roll it around a bit to get some other fruits and sparky spices. If you take a more generous mouthful it comes to life a lot more and offers more toffee sweetness.
The finish is also pretty restrained at first sip. There’s a gentle development of warm spices that grows over a minute or so, but no real complexity. Taking the larger measure once again brings rewards with the citrus driving the finish and bringing a vibrancy that’s not there with a sip.
I love the way FF go about their business. Putting the spirit in the bottle without adulteration seems very honest to me. That said I think colouring and sweetening would have swamped this particular effort to the detriment of the nose which is its best feature. But then I guess they are not looking for the mainstream cognac drinker and I can see this appealing to many that don’t arrive with complexes. It’s important to approach this in the right frame of mind. Don’t be overly analytical. Just slosh it into your glass and drink it heartily and it rewards in spades.