Catching up with cognac today. There’s the brand-new Laurichesse Lot 75 ‘Le Lion Sage’ from Malternative Belgium which we’ll pair to the slightly older Laurichesse ‘Le Chai de Mon Père’ fût 212. Two expressions from a house that impressed us several times before. From Grape of the Art comes François Voyer Lot 85, and Passion for Whisky released a Lot 46 from an undisclosed producer.
We’ll finish with two older releases from Swell de Spirits: Pasquet Lot 99 and an experimental eau-de-vie de raisin finished in a Caroni rum cask. This was also cognac of course, but once you’re using a rum cask it stops falling under the official cognac umbrella.
Cognac Laurichesse ‘Le Lion Sage’ Lot 75 – Grande Champagne (50,4%, Malternative Belgium, 396 btl.)
Nose: juicy fruits, like peaches, quinces and (blood) oranges. After a while mangoes and mandarins come out. These are joined by lovely rancio notes. Furniture polish and beeswax, always nice. Then old leather, along with refined tobacco notes and candied orange zest. Whiffs of floral ointments, mint tea and citrus liqueurs in the distance. Total clarity.
Mouth: a mix of dried and fresh fruits. More orchard and citrus fruits at first. Orange, nectarine, mirabelle and pink grapefruit, with a hint of jasmine and floral honey. No wait, passion fruits chiming in as well. Then more beeswax, drops of menthol and soft herbal tea. More citrusy with a mild drying note towards the end.
Finish: rather long, with the same fruit / mint combo, apricot and drying hints of exotic spice.
I found this a tad less explosive than ‘Les jeux de fruits’ (from memory) but Pieter says it should be fruitier than all other 1975s in a direct comparison. Alright then. In any case this is very impressive in terms of freshness, fruits and elegant rancio. I repeat: these Laurichesse bottlings are some of the best value cognacs around. Available from Malternative Belgium.
Cognac Laurichesse – Grande Champagne (47,6%, OB ‘Le Chai de mon père’ 2023, cask #212, 165 btl.)
Nose: this is a more robust and jammy than Pieter’s cask, with more dried apricots, golden raisins and stewed pears. Then some cherries as well. Old leather is back. The mentholated and leathery side is louder, and there’s some coffee, caramel and blackberries that make it slightly more weighty than the Lion, despite the lower ABV.
Mouth: an unctuous layer of honey and orange candy, evolving towards apricot jam. The some liquorice, leading up to tobacco leaves, drops of coffee and herbal liqueur. Flashes of quinces. Light rancio and hints of caramelized nuts. Spices become stronger, with a hint of candied ginger on the side.
Finish: quite long, a mix of apricot, acacia honey and light rancio.
I don’t think we’ve ever had Laurichesse that wasn’t excellent. This one is a bit more robust than the casks that Pieter selected – in a way it is a more old-school cognac profile. Complex and fruity though, bravo. Still available in a few places. Score: 90/100
Cognac Lot 46 – Fins Bois (49,5%, Passion for Whisky 2025, 252 btl.)
Mouth: vibrant, with plenty of oranges and plums, mixing nicely with oak spice. Candied fruits, soft caramel, nice hints of honeysuckle. Then a little pepper, spearmint, with a subtle mentholy note. Leaning towards the sweeter side with dried apricots and honey again. Fresh and punchy, with drops of herbal liqueur in the end.
Finish: long, with more orange peels now, more of these sweet herbs and mild wood.
This undisclosed cognac from a brouilleur de cru in Juillac Le Coq is not the most delicate Fins Bois, but the oak spice is kept in check by the added sweetness. Overall rich and elegant, scoring high on value for money. In stock at Passion for Whisky. Score: 89/100
Cognac Voyer Lot 85 – Grande Champagne (53,7%, Grape of the Art 2025, 295 btl.)
Nose: cleaner and more high-pitched, with plenty of lime, unripe peach and pear, lemon frosting and that metallic note that I often have in younger cognac. Becomes nicely fragrant after a while, with jasmine and honeysuckle. Then some waxy notes, star anise and whiffs of silver polish.
Mouth: vibrant, albeit in a ‘cooler’ way, with a lower complexity. Green citrus, some green grape, more pears and yellow plums. Rather chisseled, with some chalky dryness, hints of lemon tea and plenty of citrus oils.
Finish: medium to long, now a little grassier and earthier, with hints of liquorice.
The precision and clarity in this one is remarkable. It makes it seem a little younger than it actually is. Not a problem here, overall it is a really entertaining profile, if a little more narrow. Score: 88/100
Cognac Pasquet Lot 99 – Bons Bois (50,5%, Swell de Spirits ‘Wonders’ 2023, 350 btl.)
Nose: herbal tea and cedarwood at first, along with milder vanilla and Dutch raisin bread. Also polished brassware, some pepper and subtle floral notes (iris perhaps). Some serious oak as well, along with ginger candy and candied orange peel. Very rich and entertaining, although it’s a slightly rougher profile.
Mouth: some berry fruits, with more spicy notes (chilli and cinnamon) and hints of liquorice. Orange and peach candy hidden in the distance, with some raisins. Then a sudden floral note comes out again (dried rose petals) with honey, nutmeg and spiced chocolate.
Finish: quite long, on bittersweet spices and hints of cocoa.
An interesting choice. Coming from the rougher Bons Bois region, this is a whirlpool of flavours. Not a fruit bomb in any way, but a captivating cognac. Apparently still available from Swell de Spirits. Score: 88/100
Eau-de-vie de raisin 1991 (58,2%, Swell de Spirits ‘Wild card’ 2024, 6 month Caroni finish, 260 btl.)
Nose: fruitier than expected, mainly peaches and yellow plums. The Caroni influence comes in second row, with subtle camphor and whiffs of glue or resinous oil. Underneath there are lightly toasted almonds, hints of wood and brioche.
Mouth: sharper and more rum-driven. Plenty of rubbery notes, herbal extracts, plenty of petrol notes and hints of varnish. Brine, some green olive and aniseed, along with lemon peels and salty liquorice. Some yellow fruits and vague pineapple in the distance.
Finish: quite long, now clearly more salty, along with clove oil, hints of blackberry and pepper.
A good marriage. The cognac stays on top while nosing, but on the palate the Caroni influence becomes much louder. I’m not sure it’s necessary to impose this kind of austerity onto any cognac, but the experiment is definitely well executed. Sold out. Score: 87/100