Andre Petit Hors d’Age 40%

The last time I reviewed a cognac from André Petit, it was during my first Interstellar session, and that wasn’t a joke at all. Today I’m reviewing the Hors d’Age, a noble assemblage of 1955, 1958, and 1962 made of Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. This is a 60yo+ multi-cru blend slightly reduced at 40%.

Colour: Very dark amber, old gold lights. Regular medium tears.

Nose: Very exotic at first. A gentle mix of banana stew and cocoa powder scents. Spiced and tea-ish tones on verbena and anise, immediately followed by strong menthol notes. Nice rancio on blackberry juice and licorice. Heady smells of bourbon vanilla and orange blossom. Light flowery shades on rosewater. A tad of pastry notes, mainly on roasted sesame seeds and vanilla flan.

Mouth: Oily texture. Full of exotic fruits with mango and watermelon juice. Nice acidulous fruity notes on raspberry stew. Full of roasted notes too, mainly on ristretto and dark chocolate. Great spiced aromas on cardamom and ginger. I have to admit that I miss a bit of previously perceived menthol notes. Massive bitter chocolate aftertaste.

Last Notes: Still on tea-ish tones, this time underlined by great herbal notes (parsley and fresh rosemary). Another wave of strong coffee scents. You also find light salted notes on green olives. But it owns distinct old PC tones, with very acidulous strawberry and blackberry smells (the same acidulous side you get with berlingot sweets). Also a great patine on honey wax, a bit like in the Andre Petit L14. Back on the palate, you get lingering cocoa notes again. It remains a tad fruity on cherry liquor. Great licorice syrup aromas too. It ends on roasted notes of cold coffee and burnt wood.

A true work of assemblage. Very refined cognac, with various shades, but in my humble opinion, there’s a lack of body/structure to pretend to go further than 90.