Maltbarn bottled two Grande Champagne cognacs selected from the stocks of Jean-Luc Pasquet. They are close together: Lot 71 and Lot 72. You may want to check availability in the Maltbarn shop.
Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet 52 yo Lot 72 – Grande Champagne (54,5%, Maltbarn 2025, 75 btl.)
Nose: a nice fruity core, with stewed peaches and apricots, ripe apples, quince jam and honey. Mild hints of copper coins and light spearmint. Moderate rancio. Then some sweet almond milk. It’s quite vibrant, with a light touch of dried rose petals and citrus peels that keep it bright.
Mouth: beautiful tobacco notes take center stage, in a leafy way, combined with mentholated notes. Sour cherries and nectarines, with sultanas and hints of pink pepper. Big Earl Grey notes, some tropical fruits (pink grapefruit, tangerine) and a drop of sweet muscat grapes. Light toffee as well. Gets quite spicy and woody towards the end, with minty / herbal notes.
Finish: long, with polished oak and herbal tea, and lingering fruity notes.
A really nice all-rounder. There’s a sweet candied side but also bright fruity notes. Drier components like tobacco and wood spice are kept at bay. A very good release.
Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet 53 yo Lot 71 – Grande Champagne (55,1%, Maltbarn 2025, 75 btl.)
Nose: very close to Lot 72, although this one seems slightly less punchy. Hints of chestnuts and nougat, with light herbs. Underneath the fruitiness is similar – nectarines, ripe apples and quinces. The base aromas are close to Lot 72, but this one can’t keep up.
Mouth: the onset seems fruitier here. Bergamot, tangerines. Then the minty and spicy side grows bigger than in Lot 72. Less sweetness. Seville oranges. A seductive floral side too, with hints of potpourri and verbena. Later tobacco comes forward, making it drier.
Finish: rather long, slightly thinner and brighter than Lot 72, with more bergamot and herbal notes.
The added brightness on the palate is very nice, despite also bringing more wood spice. It is mostly the slightly more limited nose that puts this in the shadow of the Lot 71 in my book. Score: 90/100