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Dwelling
Hundreds of tastings,
all of the ramblings
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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August 10, 2025
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are finished from the perspective of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an knowledgeable in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or another spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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| Domaine d’Espérance (Domaine d’Espérance) |
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Since it’s Sunday! We will begin with one or two outdated bottlings of cognac from large homes, as an apéritif…
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Otard ‘X.O.’ (40%, OB, cognac, +/-1980) 
This child was matured on the Château de Cognac, in keeping with the silkscreen-style again label. Otard, apparently now Baron Otard, is a home you hear much less about today; even we at WF have solely tasted very outdated bottlings or very outdated vintages. Color: amber. Nostril: beautiful nostril, honeyed and stuffed with raisins, thus somewhat wealthy, however with a mineral and earthy stress within the background that provides a lot complexity, to not point out these tiny mentholated and camphory touches that seem after just a few seconds. Briefly, on the nostril, that is stunning, a beautiful shock. Mouth: actually very mushy, one feels syrups, a fatty and sugary aspect one may do with out, a little bit of a pity. Vin de paille, pineau, candy muscats, all that. This liqueur-like aspect will not be actually for us. End: somewhat lengthy, nonetheless light, even barely cloying. Nonetheless a great deal of raisins. Feedback: we preferred the nostril lots, the palate much less so. I don’t assume that is OBE, regardless of greater than forty years in bottle.
SGP:740 – 76 factors. |
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Camus ‘Célébration’ (40%, OB, La Grande Marque, Seventies) 
A model launched by Camus to mark their centenary within the Nineteen Sixties; allow us to see how this cognac has resisted the passing of time… Color: darkish amber. Nostril: already on the nostril, a lot drier and extra vegetal than the Otard, maybe extra marked by barely extra rustic crus, which we like lots right here. A contact of marc, then undergrowth, espresso in nice magnificence, and liquorice that grows ever extra current. Mouth: this time the situation is ideal, the fashion somewhat complicated, somewhat caramelly but additionally superbly earthy and resinous, with the arrival of the proverbial ripe winery peach and the no much less proverbial maple syrup, which additional pushes the caramel aspect, whether or not the latter be fully pure or barely ‘boosted’ within the kitchen. You see what I imply. End: pretty lengthy, beautiful, fairly contemporary regardless of that caramel, even with a barely malty aspect. Feedback: a tremendous outdated bottle, and straightforward sufficient to search out.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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Pierre de Segonzac ‘XO La Rencontre Lot90’ (40%, Artwork Malts, Grande Champagne, 2024)
Previously home Pierre Ferrand. I believe the Home Pierre de Segonzac is not associated to Cognac Ferrand. The remainder of the story is a bit difficult, so allow us to somewhat give attention to the juice… Color: vivid amber. Nostril: formidable nostril on darkish nougat and praline, with only a very gentle varnish and a contact of bud. Not very removed from the outdated Camus, fact be informed, solely that is extra compact, most elegantly compact. Mouth: a barely old-style cognac, mixing apricot tart with fir honey and, as soon as once more, maple syrup and toffee. Not such a lightweight construction at 40% vol. End: pretty lengthy, nearer to the grape cluster however nonetheless dominated by honey and maple syrup. Contact of peach liqueur within the aftertaste. Feedback: very a lot within the Camus fashion.
SGP:651 – 86 factors. |
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Let’s have somewhat Armagnac…
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Domaine d’Espérance 23 yo 2001/2025 (49.7, The Colors of Armagnac, Bas-armagnac, No.1, cask #71, 210 bottles) 
Pure folle blanche! It’s very nice to see rum or whisky specialists taking increasingly curiosity in armagnac. Domaine d’Espérance is positioned in Mauvezin-d’Armagnac, within the Landes. Color: amber gold. Nostril: very a lot on darkish honeys of all types, the panettones we hold mentioning right here, then agricole rum à la Neisson (I guarantee you) and, if you happen to search effectively, minute puffs of garlic-fried ceps. Which, after all, is utter homicide. Savoury. Mouth: a lot firmer on the palate, with toasted oak that takes you in a delicate pincer motion, plus a barely acidic espresso grounds aspect, the entire thing being completely stunning. This fashion fits armagnac so effectively! Now, the place are these garlic ceps? End: very lengthy, on resinous woods and menthol tobacco of the Kool kind. I don’t know if the model nonetheless exists. Loads of darkish chocolate and mint within the aftertaste. Feedback: a barely combative armagnac, if you happen to see what I imply. It is rather, very ‘armagnac’.
SGP:561 – 90 factors. |
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Laubade 23 yo 2001/2025 (50.7%, Grape of the Artwork, Bas-armagnac, cask #90, 251 bottles)
Right here is pure baco, or Gers piquepoul, a cross between folle blanche and noah mentioned to be rather less refined, however in our glass, now we have by no means observed that. However we are not any specialists… Color: full gold. Nostril: the exact opposite of the earlier one, a lot rounder, sweeter, seductive, fruity, floral, in different phrases extra harmful. I discover primarily tonnes and tonnes of tiny dried figs, the queens of dried fruits. Although the fig will not be a fruit, it’s a flower, do you know? Additionally mandarin liqueur. Briefly, magnificent. With water: white Bordeaux of twenty years or extra. Mouth (neat): of nice magnificence, stuffed with ease, citrus, flower jellies and honeys and pear liqueur. Very good notes of outdated sémillon. With water: even older, and fewer outdated, sémillon. One drinks this like wine, frankly. End: not that lengthy, however nonetheless completely seductive, with what we may now name a ‘muscaty’ side at this stage. Feedback: absolute hazard right here, goes down like iced tea. Peach, naturally. They need to add a warning sticker to the bottle.
SGP:641 – 91 factors. |
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Garreau 36 yo 1988/2025 (45.9%, Liquid Treasures for Korea Brandy Society, Bas-armagnac) 
The impartial Garreaus have undoubtedly been among the many revelations of current years. Color: full gold. Nostril: once more a really completely different profile, this time we’re in candy wine territory, VDN, Rivesaltes, floc de Gascogne, candy PX, apricot liqueur, agave syrup, with a really slight toast… On the nostril that is stunning, we simply hope the palate won’t be too, allow us to say, schmalzy. Mouth: no, however it is vitally fruity, whereas displaying pretty marked oak, so it stretches between black teas and contemporary fruits, however I discover that it really works very effectively. Sultanas then arrive en masse and be a part of a really infused Earl Gray tea. End: lengthy, fruitier, between Williams pear and mirabelle, with pink peppercorn as counterpoint. Feedback: the Laubade is a session-killer, so a thousand bravos for surviving with panache and even glory.
SGP:651 – 88 factors. |
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Domaine Lous Mouracs 1986/2025 (47.3%, L’Encantada for German Armagnac Pageant 2025, Ténarèze)
Ugni blanc and colombard, and 35 years in wooden, so, I suppose, just a few years in a demijohn. Color: amber. Nostril: once more, a pack of Kool or inexperienced Dunhill’s, so tobacco and mint, then small aniseed and polish touches earlier than tipping in the direction of peach and apricot soup. Then it carries on with a procession of tisanes and infusions, amongst which we will word particularly thyme and rosemary. Impeccable. Mouth: primarily on fruit soup flavoured with mint and liquorice. You possibly can checklist dozens, after all apricots and peaches, but additionally all types of plums. The slight varnish and clove aspect remains to be there too. End: lengthy, now actually rustic, however that’s what one expects from a Ténarèze. Comparatively marked tannicity. Feedback: a powerful nation armagnac, to drink on a picnic (if you’re not driving afterwards, after all).
SGP:561 – 89 factors. |
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Hontambère 1988/2025 (44.3%, POH!, Ténarèze)
100% ugni blanc right here, and a reputation that has made its mark amongst malt freaks currently. Fairly rightly so. Color: amber. Nostril: cooked fruits in abundance, we really feel like visiting a jam manufacturing unit in full manufacturing. Just a few actual touches of tomato sauce too, which is completely sensible, then loopy quantities of damson, sprinkled with cinnamon and white pepper. Lastly, a contact of pinot noir, I don’t know the place that comes from. Mouth: once more the rusticity of the Ténarèze, tannins, prunes, outdated plum spirit, strands of darkish tobacco (allow us to say unfiltered Gauloises) and liquorice wooden. Even notes of cured ham, Bayonne-style, briefly that is critical stuff. End: lengthy on, ach, erm, euh, Mon Chéri. Sorry. Feedback: we’re borderline ‘corrida’ right here. A rusticity one may say is absolutely assumed.
SGP:461 – 89 factors. |
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Right here, for the final one, we’ll shift issues a bit…
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Domaine de l’Arlot 2007/2025 (51%, Genuine Spirits, tremendous de Bourgogne)
I remind you {that a} tremendous is distilled wine, so cognac and armagnac are fines. The distinction right here in Burgundy is that the grape varieties used are meant to make (nice) wines, whereas these of cognac or armagnac are ‘distillation’ grapes, which hardly ever make it into wine to be drunk as such. In any case, right here we’re in Nuits-St.-Georges, probably the most terroiry of the pink Burgundies in my humble opinion. We like them. Color: gold. Nostril: completely treacherous as a result of for now, I really feel we’re in Cognac. Stewed peaches and pears, sultanas, apricots, jasmine, just a few waxy touches and people nearer to ‘the stalks’ counsel a distinction. With water: little change. Mouth (neat): just a few touches we would name ‘fats and rustic’ sign a distinction certainly… No less than in the beginning, for regularly, we draw nearer to leaf, soil, even marc and stalks… With water: the waxy and natural aspect strengthens; we’re not in Cognac in any respect. Touches of glue, almond skins, contemporary walnuts, contemporary mint… End: lengthy, natural, textured. Feedback: I discover this excellent however somewhat mental; I believe it requires immersion… in Nuits-St.-Georges.
SGP:461 – 86 factors. |
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