The brand-new bottling from Malternative Belgium is their first release from the house of Daniel Bouju. In fact this was also one of the first estates that was discovered by whisky lovers, years ago and one of the few that had cask strength expressions at that time.
It is a family producer in the heart of the Grande Champagne region, who started in 1805. They own around 15 ha of vineyards in the area, they make their own spirit and control all other steps. In fact Pieter explained how Bouju works with a special bousinage, a toasting of the casks that caramelises the wood and gives it an extra boost. Then after some years the spirit is moved from these heavily toasted casks to older, less active barrels.
Cognac Daniel Boujou Lot 60 ‘Le brûle’ – Grande Champagne (50,5%, Malternative Belgium 2022, 246 btl.)
Nose: deep and flavoursome, with a clear hint of Caribbean rum. A good dose of Demerara sugar, tobacco leaves and cigar boxes. Lightly charred oak. Over-infused Earl Grey tea. Over time it shows a growing spiciness (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon) as well as an oxidative rancio side and leather. A wee sour edge of the wood too.
Mouth: rich, always with this undertone of brown sugar and molasses, alongside figs and prune jam. Then it goes to liquorice and tobacco, with leather and a few drops of Fernet Branca. A dark and herbal style, showing medicinal notes and burnt cake but also a faint floral edge. Quite woody, sure, but not overly tannic as the underlying caramelly sweetness keeps it in check.
Finish: quite long, chalky and mineral, with plenty of salty notes.
This Daniel Boujou steers more towards oxidative notes and typical rancio, with a good dose of woody notes. A very concentrated and bold style, not uncommon for this house, and almost the equivalent of a good PX sherry cask in whisky. Today’s cognac bottlers may not have ventured into this corner of the cognac spectrum before, so it’s yet another excellent find. Available today from Malternative-Belgium.com