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Tasting Notes Category: Brandy

Domaine de Bouillon 1982/2017 47.2% for Darroze

Nose: Mexican street corn with a light dusting of cotija, tobacco, and peach black tea. I was hanging in Armagnac recently and they were showing me jars filled with unripe mirabelle plums and young armagnac, maturing for a couple seasons. Unripe Apricots. Looking forward to the pairing. I can smell the sulfur, but it’s not freaking me out yet. But instead plays out as black canned olives. There is a lovely floral layer hiding behind all the big notes, lilacs and violets.

Palate: Heavy wood. Like an ogre’s club. That peach black tea is very much present. Sulfur is present, but I am fighting through it. The palate is syrupy, and reminds me of the fruit concentrates my grandmother had and would pour into sparkling water. She preferred cassis, I liked grossielle, and this palate is closer to the dark cherry spectrum. This is such an action packed mouthful.

Rating: 7 / 10 – I like big oak and a powerful pour and this qualifies on all fronts.

Tasting Note

Domaine de Bouillon 1976 41.9% for Darroze

Nose: Butterscotch candy, butterscotch syrup, all the butterscotch. The empty bag after you microwave your buttered popcorn. I am now in the mood for a movie. And while he doesn’t disagree, Shane was a more on the chocolate cherry spice wavelength.

Palate: One monumental note. Wait for it… starts with butter… then, add favorite over priced whisky from Scotland and let it harden. And then fart on it. Yea… only Shane gets the sulfur but he is kicking and screaming. And even with that, he likes it. That my friends says a lot because he is a pansy. There is a touch of bitterness, overstepped jasmine tea. Conductor comes through to punch your ticket. Do you like butterscotch? Because if not, get the fuck of this train.

Rating: 5 / 10 – Buy one? Nah. But I’d visit once in a while. Promising Domaine.

Tasting Note

Brian Borger

Chateau de Gaube 1966 50yo 44% for Darroze

Nose: Sweet vanilla frosting and maple glazed pears; a bit floral and mineral too. And peaches! Remarkably fresh for 50 years, but don’t hear me saying “this smells like a ten year old wtf” — no this is soft and elegant, with layers of beautifully integrated oak.

Palate: I was surprised at the bold booze and bourbony oak when it hit the palate. Lots of candied oranges and oak, peach leather, a plug of brewers licorice, a glug of Sauternes. Sometimes these old yaks start to get thinned out but this one maintains a really nice medium+ mouthfeel and a really smooth sweetness. Finish, flat 7-up; orange zest with some pith; sweet and medium in length.

Rating: 6 / 10 – Flawless, if a tad unexciting. Certainly could remain in barrel a long time more. I don’t get much in the way of rancioted nuts or raisins or Madeira qualities that I expected. Darroze in his interview mentions that despite similarities of oak and oxidation, every Gaube expresses a different style, which makes me want to try more from this domaine. This one isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse but I wouldn’t be surprised if others try it and find it an instant favorite. ?‍♀️

Tasting Note

Armagnac

Chateau de Gaube 1964 43,2% for Darroze

Nose: Freeze dried strawberries dipped in espresso laced fudge. Tobacco leaf and the ephemeral smell of a cigar smoked out in an open field. My grandparents had a well loved country home and orchard a few hours from Paris. I can barely remember the house itself as mami would kick me out of it the minute I was awake and told me to come back before the sun set. There is an old farmhouse smell that is hard to describe. Aged wood. Wool. Preserved flowers bouquet and drying fruit from the orchard. Baking brownies with walnuts. And then the fruit pops again. Bright green apples. Not just sweet, but a tart that wrinkles my nose.

Palate: Almonds and pate a choux. Wood tannins and the aftertaste of tobacco. Quince and unripe pear. Lime peel. Lavender slowly transitioning into Moroccan mint.

Rating: 7 / 10 – What a nose. And a beautiful palate. But I swear they belong to different spirits. The nose harkening back to older whisky, the palate to an elegant herbal cognac.

Tasting Note

Armagnac

Chateau de Gaube 1971 42,9%for Darroze

Nose: Dusty. Holy peaches batman; peach gummies, peach crumble, peach frosting, canned peaches, fried peaches. Roasted peaches. Poached peaches. Peach jambalaya. A hint of floral.. Honeysuckle and orange blossom. Walnuts. Prune and the ghost of anise.

Palate: Where did all that sugar and fruit go from the nose? Anise, cloves, cinnamon. The glue from licking an envelope. Lightly waxy. Dried lemon or orange peel transitioning to herbal.

Rating: 5 / 10 – A fun visit but the palate is a touch too herbal and bitter after all the promise of the nose. But what a nose.

Tasting Note

Shane

Domaine Cutxan 15 Year 2006 50.5% for Grape of the Art / L’encantada

Nose: I used to store fresh cherries in a container with bourbon and cinnamon shavings in the freezer, and then drop them into drinks, or into the fermenter when brewing cider. When the whimsy took me, I’d add a star of anise. I miss brewing. Yesterday, I accidentally poured cold sparkling water into the mug I had dregs of David Rio tiger spice chai. Turns out, chai in sparkling water isn’t far off from a craft cola. The light element of nutty earthiness approaches cooked wild rice with plump raisins. And a violet floralness on the finish. This is a sweet tooth nose.

Palate: Vague brown sugar sweetness quickly vanishes into bitter town. A sorrel sauce on salmon. Or lavender oil added to a cookie. Or when you leave star anise or cloves too long in something and the oiliness overpowers the palate. I almost gave up on the pour entirely, but this actually gets interesting with a big mouthful and swishing it around like mouthwash. The oak gets more robust and chocolate cherries burst forth.

Rating: 5 / 10 – The nose is lovely and takes me to some great sweet bourbons. The palate really wasn’t hitting the right notes, but as I sat with it, it grew on me a touch, creeping from a 4 to a 5. I got this in a small bottle labeled “Try Me”. I’m not even sure if this is a rum or a brandy, but it slightly reminds me of a John Dore Still. Okay, reveal – it’s official – this is my 4th blind Cuxtan single cask someone has sent me. I simply don’t like the profile of the domain. I’ll have to accept being the odd one out on this. But this is the best Cuxtan I’ve had to date. But still… blah.

Tasting Note

Cognac

Shane

Gautier XO Pinar Del Rio Cigar Blend 41.2%

Nose: A big intense red grape bomb. And yet it doesn’t come off like a child’s treat but somehow carries a confident maturity. Honey fried figs with a dash of port. And a sprig of rosemary. What a concentrated opening.

Palate: From the nose I fear a jolly rancher. But it is pure elegance. Dried apricots and soft cherries. Dates of the drier persuasion. Almonds, served with a very mild young cheese and a dab of spiced compote. The gentle blanket of oak spices. And on the tip of the finish, a lick of garden herbs ending on the ghost of mint.

Rating: 7 / 10 – I found this sample in a mini market next to Smirnoff and Jack Daniels, and grabbed it for the fun packaging. Low expectations to put it mildly. I rarely give cigar blends much credence, but to be straight up… I would easily pair this with pipe tobacco. I typically veer towards the more neurotic, but even I can doff my cap for an artful blend. Chapeaux. And I went onto LMDW and bought a full bottle right away and opened it the day it landed. Can’t wait to pour this for friends.

Tasting Note

Domaine de Charron 1994 49%

Nose: Olive tapenade. Salted nuts. Sticky prunes and rum cake. Even butterscotch. A big heaping serving of anise. And the ubiquitous herbal something.

Palate: Dry tannins, big bitter woods reminiscent of a potent quinine tonic, Castelvetrano or Antequera olives. The hint of fruit formerly known as Dr pepper, buried prunes. Herbs and anise. Cracked black pepper and pecorino cheese.

Rating: 5 / 10 – The nose is great. I tried letting this sit for an hour on Borger’s recommendation. But apparently, the Charron cube will not assimilate me. Move along Borg, this aint the drinker you are looking for. I honestly wonder if I came back to this in a few months if I will have a very different score.

Tasting Note

Domaine de Charron 1987 46,3%

Nose: Heavy on the nuts: toasted chestnuts & hazelnuts. Acacia. Anise and fresh whole nutmeg. Redvines, red velvet cake. dr pepper, guajillo peppers. Disaronno, which Ryan taught me, is an amaretto liqueur made from almonds or peach pits.

Palate: Tobacco, dried peppers/ground chili pepper, dark chocolate, espresso grounds… hell, that is basically a mole recipe. And even the chicken to pair it with. But gentle and mercurial. Rolls across the palate fluttering from one part of the tongue to another. I was forced to drink prune juice every day as an older child. Apparently you should not eat fruit rollups with the plastic. Go figure, it’ll wreck havoc on your digestive tract. The long finish is strongly herbal.

Rating: 5 / 10 – Whoa. I’m blown away by the versatility of this spirit. My first Charron(s) are not at all what I expected. The DNA is fascinating. I’ll definitely look for more and see if there is a bottle with a less intense herbal side.

Tasting Note

Domaine de Charron 1988 47,4%

Nose: Coca cola concentrate. The shit my shop teacher used to degrease engines and dissolve baby teeth overnight. Black forest cake and dark chocolate cherry liqueur candies. Green turtle car wax. Brand new birthday balloons.

Palate: Carob. Licorice root extract. Portobello. Earthy and dense.The concentrator herbal intensity is off the scale. The syrup used to make Ricola. Then an oddly chemical moment, tastes like blowing up a balloon. Its got everything from the nose, from cola to chocolaty goodness. But that balloon overwhelmed it all.

Rating: 6 / 10 – If you love the herbal nature, this is freaking outstanding and probably an 8. I just don’t. So I can respect it enormously, but can’t love it.

Tasting Note

Domaine de Charron 1989 47.3%

Nose: You could slip this into a blind Guyana rum tasting and never bat an eye. Caramelized demerara sugar and toasted vanilla beans. Big beautiful oak. Star of anise and cloves. Eau of ripe banana.

Palate: For my parent’s 50th anniversary I’d like to cook something special. I just wish I had more of this bottle and I’d use it to make the perfect truffle. Dark chocolate covered espresso beans, molasses, rum creme brûlée, healthy touch of anise and cinnamon on the back of the palate. Bit of the dirty side too. Burnt rubber. I want to wax on poetically, but I’ll just sit back and drink this and stop typing.

Rating: 8 / 10 – Let’s just agree to call it Domaine de ChaRUM and lay ourselves down on the altar to pray.

Tasting Note

Shane

Jean Luc Pasquet Lot 70

Nose: My son wandered by, stuck his nose in the glass I had left out to breathe and asked if it was a beer. And now I can’t unsmell a blond ale no matter how hard I try. Power of suggestion? Or simply nailed it? I wish I had the Capovilla eau de biere with me to compare. It is the light pastry vibe that connects over to summer ale. Apricot pound cake and an almond danish; that heavy butter and baking spice yeastiness. A gentle and long waft of nutmeg.

Palate: From the nose to the palate. Pancakes with a heavy handful of baking soda. Almost sparkling on the tongue. My kids prefer them fluffy, myself nearly deep fried, with warm butter and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Fresh almonds and crisp apple tart. And a dollop of natural greek yogurt, the tartness, not the creaminess. I’ve always loved my fruits best at the firm pre-fully ripe stage, with a zing of tartness. Greengage and limeade. But be warned, this sucker runs hot. Even with an hour of rest it zings.

Rating: 6 / 10 – I love the tart nature of this pour balanced with the rich oak spices. If the alcohol was less of a club, I’d drink this regularly.

Tasting Note

Darroze Pouteou 1969 / 2012 40%

Nose: Cinnabon pecans rolls. A heavy anise perfume and orange black tea. And a saccharine fruit sweetness, a la gushers fruit flavored snack packs. Except I never got those (looking at you mom), I got the “healthy” whole foods version; half the sugar and none of the delight.

Palate: Lots of anise and eucalyptus. Dry orange peel. This veers quite herbal on the finish, like a poor man’s Ricola without serious depth or nuance.

Rating: 5 / 10 – a great nose, with an herbal palate that manages to stay on the pleasant side of bitter. While I won’t go hunting for it, I don’t mind finishing this glass. Which says a lot given my taste buds. Ryan and I probably should have written more on the notes, but we were ready to hit the next pour.

Tasting Note

Shane

Domaine de Charron 2004 Bottled 14/09/2016 Cask #94

Nose: Cherry coke bordering on Mike & Ike’s cherry cola. This blossoms into a spicy heat that I henceforth dub this dram the hot tamale. A lovely dusty oakapalooza. I wish the floors of our new home would look like this pour smells, all deep warm cherry reds and well aged with vibrant grain. But we live in Europe and everyone here sells oak. Awesome in my barrels but not what I want covering my house. Still a bit scarred from the 80s/90s. Hints of sawdust and molasses. Honestly, this is an armagnac in bourbon trappings. No wonder the Americans love this shit.

Palate: Oak my goodness. This has oaky waves of grain throughout, although it absolutely dominates the finish. The cherry en bouche is more cough drop than fresh fruit. Sour red plums. There is a light hint of anise and a heavy herbal craft soda vibe. I became mildly obsessed with Cockta on our last trip through Croatia, which is a soda made from rose hips and a bunch of other herbs by the slovenian government. Sadly, not sold here in the Canaries. But I’m struggling to find much beyond the coke & oak tonight.

Rating: 6 / 10 – Delicious bruiser of a pour. Wish it had a touch of subtlety to it. My initial instinct was that I would gladly own one. But, I then didn’t bother googling or looking for one. I even tried to talk myself into it, and couldn’t. So in honesty, it’s probably a 7 on some night, but a 6 tonight.

Tasting Note

Brandy

Shane

Humbrecht Marc de Gewurztraminer 1976 / 2016 63.1%

Nose: Handmade glycerine soap. There seems to be a canonical symbol in the US for graduations, and that is the stargazer lily. A stunning visual expression of pure classiness. But just like that family who is visiting to celebrate, by day 5, it’s taken over the whole house and has become overbearing. Walking into a bath and body work, nearly a pop in the nose. I once visited Charlotte, North Carolina in full spring, and wandered along the waterways in the countryside (careful of the gators). I’d sit in the shade under the weeping willow, the air thick with pollen and floating spider webs, watching the lily pads drift along and the mash grasses in the splendor bend in the wind.

Palate: I became obsessed with lemon verbena yerba mate while hiding out in a monastery in Syria. It was one of the few places that seemed to avoid the shockwaves of the transfer of power between generations of Asads. The old Argentinian monk liked to listen to the valley and pass the cup back and forth while we filled and then winced at the bitterness. The oak is super concentrated and yet the grape still wins out. Instead it pops in as wet driftwood. And a bright chemical taste, the disposable wet wipes my son used when he came out of the NICU. So fresh and so clean clean.

Rating: 7 / 10 – What an explosion of flavors. Everything turned up to 11. A bottle to share and blow people’s minds. But only something the foolish and insane would reach for daily. A legitimately challenging pour to rate but I want a bottle, so there you have it.