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Navarre Souvenir Impérial Hors d'Age Grande Champagne Cognac

Exceptional 92 /100

see 30 reviews

ABV
40%
Bottle size
700ml
Growth area
Grande Champagne
Cognac age
Hors d'Age

JK

Reviews written: 4 (see reviews)

Average Score given: 83

Review Overview: Best & Most rated, All Reviewers & Reviews

Bio:

I live on the east coast. Another blue collar guy, with an affinity for good tequila and rum. I am, by no means, an expert. At best an enthusiast with a lingering memory of my father letting me try a small shot of something he said I would remember for the rest of my life. Cognac.... he wasn't wrong entirely. I was only 11 or 12 at the time and have no idea what kind it was beyond it being shaped similar to a wine bottle. I was far too young to appreciate it. When I tried a sip I thought I had ingested napalm but there was something else there also. An aftertaste maybe sort of like raisins that lingered for a bit. I didn't hate it..... Lot's of Cognac out there, the few I have tried have been intriguing. Looking forward to new discoveries.

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Navarre Souvenir Impérial Hors d'Age Grande Champagne Cognac

Highly Recommended 86 /100
Verified purchase

I picked up a bottle of this after reading the many reviews on it, it's age
and in hopes of getting a better handle on rancio.
The first thing to greet me was the powerful aroma of apples and a bit of pear.
Very much enjoyable, I haven't noticed any tropical fruit so far but I did get oak and a bit of a taste of honey. There are still some flavors that elude me mostly because they are very subtle and seem to sort of float in and then fade to something else. It's a curious and quite pleasant sensation.
As to rancio, everything I've read suggests that it's more of an event that occurs over time and results in various flavors and aromas as well as their intensity? That being the case I'm inclined to say Navarre Souvenir Impérial Hors d'Age hits that mark pretty squarely on the head. It did have a bit of a burn but not too bad. Finish seemed to last quite some time.
I'll definitely buy this again.

Flavour

Wood 7/10

Spice 4/10

Fruit 9/10

Flower 1/10

Bottle / Package Design 2/5

Where is the Love? Ordinary Nice Beautiful A sight to be seen!

Value for Money 5/5

Overpriced Low Average Bargain Steal

Tasting

Nose

What aromas do you get when you sniff the Cognac? Do you get hints of fruits or flowers - perhaps it's sweet? Is it intense or rather flat - and most importantly, is the nose coherent to taste and finish? The nose is the most important part when tasting Cognac.

21/25

Mouth

A small sip: Allow your taste buds in the various areas of your mouth to distinguish the different flavours. This part of cognac tasting is described as ‘the palate’. Don’t just swallow it down; allow the liquid to touch all the regions of the mouth. Doing this is necessary as the taste buds pick up contrasting flavours in the different areas of the mouth; on the tip of your tongue to the sides, for example. Take a tiny sip to prep your palate for the sensory experience to come. Take a second larger sip, and gently roll the cognac around, etting it come into contact with every corner of your mouth. Focus on the perceived textural sensations. Are the sensations round and rich or fresh and elegant? Is the overall mouthfeel intense, balanced, disjointed, or lacking presence? In short, how does the cognac feel in your mouth?

17/20

Taste

Quite simply, what do you taste as you gently roll the cognac around in your mouth? Pay close attention to any flavors of fruits, flowers, oak, and spices - or a complex combination of those elements. Are the flavors cohesive with the Nose and the Mouth, giving a sense of balance and complexity?

23/25

Finish

The ‘finish’ is the experience you get after you’ve swallowed the cognac. What flavours can you detect? Is it a flat or rough finish and rather sharp, or is it a slight 'punch' you like? How long does the finish last? Also think about overall balance: How does the finish compare to nose and taste?

16/20

Overall Impression

Consider the Nose, Mouth, Taste, and Finish simultaneously - the cognac as a whole. Is there cohesion between the four categories, or does the cognac shine in some areas and appear dull in others? Quite simply, is the memory from the tasting experience one that will last your lifetime; is the memory good but nothing extraordinary; or is the cognac’s impact entirely forgettable?

9/10

Total: 86/100

  • 80-84: Recommended
  • 85-89: Highly Recommended
  • 90-95: Exceptional
  • 96-100: Superlative
Flat Acceptable Fine Excellent Ethereal Thin & weak Disjointed Balanced Exquisite Bland Ordinary Good Excellent Spectacular Non-existent, or rough Acceptable Good Memorable Endless Uninspiring, or rough Ordinary Good Excellent Memorable
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