At the end of last week Malternative Belgium presented two new cognacs. Both were discovered in the cellars of Grosperrin. They had been in their inventory for a long time without any bottlings.
One is a 19.26 Grande Champagne release, sourced from a former négociant who collected some barrels that he kept hidden behind heavy metal doors. Even his wife and kids couldn’t enter. The other one is a 19.26 Fins Bois release with an undisclosed provenance. This single cask cognac was transferred into 8 demijohns in the early 2000s.
Now should we start with the Grande Champagne or the Fins Bois?
Cognac 19.26 ‘La Clé du Paradis’ – Grande Champagne (41,4%, Malternative Belgium 2026, 202 btl.)
Nose: excellent richness, with lots of stewed apricots up front, along with a marzipan sweetness. Quince jam, candied orange peels, a few sultanas and a hint of pineapple cubes. Then rich honeyed notes and sweetened Earl Grey tea. Over time a minty layer grows stronger, along with a subtle musky note. Also old leather and a very soft peppery edge.
Mouth: stewed fruits. Apricots and quinces, some longans, keeping the middle between brightness and sweetness. Furniture polish as well, with a very light tannic quality at some point. Then back to sultanas, figs and fruit tea, but also fresh mint leaves, bergamot and subtle clove, lending it a pleasant drying quality.
Finish: long, now slightly more on the oaky side. Fruit tea, a little leather and dried orange peels.
This Grande Champagne has some stewed fruits and robust base notes, along with peppermint and fine oak. Wide and clearly well-aged. An impressive selection (both of them) in the current spirits climate. Available from Malternative Belgium and partners.
Cognac 19.26 ‘La Confiance’ – Fins Bois (43,2%, Malternative Belgium 2026, 245 btl.)
Nose: slightly more narrow and estery. Certainly more floral as well – highly elegant. Also more herbal tones here. Still apricots, some added plum and tangerine, but a little less ripe overall. Underneath I’m getting lightly tropical hints, like pink grapefruit and passion fruit. Light beeswax and resinous notes, along with candied lemon and fine oak.
Mouth: really vibrant, with more stone fruits and a lot of orange peels. These tropical notes are also present again, nice! Herbal honey and polished oak, with a leathery touch. Then fine cedar, a subtle hint of honeysuckle and rosemary. I love the brightness and vibrant fruitiness of this Fins Bois.
Finish: medium to long, very elegant still, with bright orchard fruits, floral spice, a hint of walnut and citrus oil.
I first tried them in this order, and then the Fins Bois had some difficulty to convince me. After that I took a long break and changed the order, making this one shine much more. A lovely profile, full on freshness and fruitiness, in a high-pitched way that I really like. Also available from Malternative Belgium and partners. Score: 92/100