This is the kind of tasting session that you’ve got once in a lifetime. 13 geeks, 38 cognacs, 12 hours. It’s quite difficult to figure out how crazy it was if you’re not a cognac geek. But I swear that wasn’t an everyday session at all!
But first, let’s thank the brilliant host that Brynjar has been. This tasting wouldn’t have been the same without the perfect organization he set up.
With that said, what about this review? You’re gonna find a tasting note for each cognac of this fabulous moment, and you’ll get three episodes (it isn’t that much for this kind of moment). And today it’s the final part…
A what a kind of Borderies to start this part III. 1906 from Heritage Rene Riviere, one the first gems bottled by Pieter (Malternative Belgium). It can’t go wrong.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Heady floral notes at first. Unmistakably from HRR, as you get a distinct kind of rancio, exhausting wormwood and heady floral notes at the same time. I remember perfectly when I’ve tasted that one, even if it was already one year ago. Pieter was sitting next to me during this huge Borderies session, and we discussed a lot of Heritage Rene Riviere and Jean-Jacques Vidal. And if i’m not mistaken, he told me that this 1906 cognac was maybe the most recognizable HRR among all his bottlings. With that said, I can just add that this nose is a gorgeous one.
Mouth: Ample oily texture. Stunning herbal aromas at first. You get this very specific rancio, with a touch of dirtiness (the one that you can find a Ledaig whisky or a Grosperrin MMC3 for example), which is also something that you can find in HRR cognacs. Great precious wood shades. Lingering herbal notes on bay leaf and basil. Wild farm notes again. Crazy kind of cognac.
Last Notes: Extreme freshness. Reasonnable oakiness regarding its age. Heavy tobacco notes. Depth, complex, appealing. Everything is here.
Easy to score. Exceptional but I miss a bit of “extra-touch” to reach the golden 92 mark.
And another HRR then. This time an OB from Mr Vidal’s collection.
Colour: Mahogany, gold lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Delicate kind of Borderies. Dry flowery scents. Subtle white pepper notes surrounded by strong licorice shades.
Mouth: Light texture. Sharp but very aromatic profile. Ample floral notes, full of violet syrup. But there is an obvious lack of body to carry this delicate kind of cognac.
Last Notes: Even with air it remains focused on floral notes. Hints honeyed tones in the background.
Well, I have to admit that I was expecting a bit more of this one. Delicious et delicate kind of Borderies, but regarding its lack of body, I can”t score it above 90.
Malternative Belgium La Roseraie 40,2%
Another HRR bottled by Pieter: La Roseraie !
Colour: Amber, old gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Full of warm spices at first. Then you get a great amount of jammy notes, mainly on plum and pear. Stunning perfume with air! Very promising!
Mouth: Oily thick texture. Dry aftertaste on violet and cola sweets. Yummy acidulous notes. I just wrote “crazy palate !!!” then.
Last Notes: Elegant and complex with air. Mesmerizing fruity notes again. Precise and perfectly delivered, which is remarkable regarding the low ABV. Crazy Borderies.
Just one question: can you really go back to any random Borderies after tasting a gem like this one?
And one following another, 1912 from HHR and bottled by Pieter.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Heady citruses notes. Very waxy. Quite fresh and zesty. Sharp and dry kind of Borderies.
Mouth: Dry texture. Clean palate, very fresh and waxy again. Hints of mint tea and dry heather notes. Quite waxy again. It has been tea-spooned with Clynelish, nope?
Last Notes: Mineral fresh style. Very intellectual, not the easiest as I discussed with Pieter but what a kind of Borderies! Chalky but a tad of roundness in the background, with a bit of wild rancioted farm notes (HRR DNA…).
Yep, as I said, not the easiest profile to taste. But everything is here and delivered with precision.
1913, HHR and Pieter again!
Colour: Dark amber. Orange lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Maybe the fruitiest profile of all those HRR. Delicious cooked plum perfume. Hints of tea-ish notes then. A bit of umami shades on miso soup notes. Strong flowery scents with air, mainly on rosewater notes.
Mouth: Creamy palate, with generous buttery pastry aromas. You also get a nice touch of bourbon vanilla. Great balsamic shades in the background. Serge Valentin compared that one with old Meursault wine, and in my opinion that’s a good comparison. You find a nice balance between vivid fruitiness (cooked pear/plum), ample buttery notes, and a tad of oxydative shades.
Last Notes: It remains vivid and so alive. 1913…Maybe a little lack of finesse and precision to be honest.
And what if Chardonnay has been planted in the middle of the Borderies? My geek brain can’t stop from thinking about a “Meursault” made on the gentle chalky slopes of Burie and Saint-Sulpice.
MAlternative Belgium MADAME PIVOINE 1925 48,1%
And the last HRR/Malternative Belgium bottling in this Borderies session.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Fresh kind of Borderies. It seems so unreal to describe something as “fresh” when it comes from pre-WWII. That’s the reason why cognac is the best among all the spirits. Apple juice, quince jam. Hints of malted notes too.
Mouth: A bit oily. A quiet rancio surrouded by fresh fruity notes. Hints of cocoa powder aromas. Rich palate, maybe a ltittle lack of depth.
Last Notes: It remains very fresh with air. But you get a bit more of oakiness. Hints of floral notes in the background, on lavender and violet blossom.
Not that bad but, as far as I’m concerned, I miss a bit of precision and finesse to go higher than 90. And a bit less of oak influence too.
Well, I had high expectations on this one. A very limited edition (29 bottles) and an impressive pedigree (19.22., bottled by Berry Bros for Kirsch Import).
Colour: Mahogany, orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Subtile nose, bright profile on candied citrus notes at first. Hints of floral notes, but it remains a discrete cognac.
Mouth: Nice balance but a little lack of body. Stunning mouth length on chestnut marmalade and fresh leather. Hints of tea-ish shades, but quite imprecise.
Last Notes: Plum eau-de-vie scents with air. Fresher than previously perceived. But it remains thin and fragile. Stunning old Shyraz notes in the aftertaste.
Delicate kind of Borderies and a bit shy too, which is quite surprising regarding its “high” ABV (45%). Beautiful cognac, but when you compete with monsters like you’ve seen before, exceptional is a minimum. But hey, that’s a 90!
1914. Here we go again. And that’s the first Hermitage here, so I was quite intrigued when we arrived to that one.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Intense citruses notes. Rich fruity candied shades. Acacia honey. Verbena. Great evolution. Incredible mouth length. Legendary. Glorious vanilla and cinnamon notes. Stop it!
Mouth: Jewellery. Stunning finesse. Everything is delivered with surgical precision. Quite the same patine than a high end 10yo Shyraz (Gangloff Barbarine 2013 could be a great example). Reasonnable level of sweetness. Licorice, banana stew, pistachio, safran. Everything at the same time.
Last Notes: I was so hypnotized by this cognac that I let my glass aside for a while. And guess what? It was brilliant 45 mins later. Grand Marnier, old French indies rum earthiness (60’s Bally or something like that). Subtle but not fragile at all. How can you keep such a concentration in this kind of venerable cognac?
Obviously one of my favorites in this tasting session. Intensity, precision and emotion.
Another 1914, but this time from Les Antiquaires du Cognac, French I.B founded in 1968. 1914 and 48%…Let’s go!
Colour: Amber, gold lights. Regular heavy tears.
Nose: Coffee beans roasted notes at first, surrounded by freshness with mint leaves. Extreme freshness indeed. Vivid profile. Hints of tinned peaches and quince marmalade. Oakiness in the background with bitter notes.
Mouth: Nice dry floral notes. Thick texture. You get a nice fruitiness again, but there is a lack of precision in this palate.
Last Notes: A little lack of finesse too. Time helps a bit but it remains too oaky in the aftertaste to appreciate the whole finesse of this venerable cognac.
It’s hard to score that one. It’s always impressive to get that kind of freshness for such an old cognac. But I said, I miss a bit more finesse here.
PAUL BEAU BORDERIES EXTRA VIEILLES 46%
I’ve heard a lot about these Paul Beau Borderies. So let’s see what that first one can give.
Colour: Dark amber, old gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Animal rancio. Very peppery too. Full of various spices. Corked?
Not able to give a note here. Most of the tasters said that it has to be tasted after a long-time opening. Even after 2 hours it remains kind of corked. That’s life.
Paul Beau BORDERIES ExTRA VIEILLES 45%
Hope I’ll have more luck with the second one!
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Elegant fruitiness, especially on umeshu. Stunning floral notes. So much finesse, maybe one of the most refined of this tasting session. Black truffle notes. Wow. Hints of warm spices in the back ground. Great evolution. Every two minutes you get a different profile.
Mouth: Thick texture. Wet rancio, full of cocoa powder aromas. You also get a nice amount of dry floral aromas (potpourri, jasmine). A full spoon of safran. Then you find back a lingering wild rancio, with meat juice (sauce grand veneur) aromas and liquid parsley notes. Gorgeous. And still this mind-blowing evolutive profile.
Last Notes: Chicken broth, bay leaves, caraway. Overripe banana and mango scents. Reasonnable amount of volatile. Reasonnable amount of oakiness too. Close to perfection.
It’s difficult to figure out how this tasting session has been emotional for me. As a cognac geek, I don’t know how to explain it, but I was in another reality.
And it has to be another 93…
Paulet TrEs vieilles Bies unkown ABV
We’re approaching the end of this marvelous tasting session. If Paul Beau is known for a few legendary gems, Paulet isn’t that bad at that game. And that’s why the two last cognacs were more than expected.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Solar profile, vivid violet notes. Full of nutty notes too. It seems a little bit corked, but maybe it seems to get better with air.
Mouth: It feels a bit corked with the nose, but the palate is way different and very convincing! Bright fruity notes, full of plum and pear jam aromas. Great mouth length.
Last Notes: Incredible acidulous profile. Crazy mouth length. Full of licorice sweets aromas. Maybe a minor lack of structure. But what a kind of Borderies!
Quite impressive. I feared that could be the second corked cognac in this tasting session, but I was a matter of time opening. I miss a bit of depth to go above 91.
Paulet Borderies tres vieilles 47%
And here we are. The last one. Ranked many times above 95pts by the Norwegian geeks. Just for this reason, as you can guess, I had very high expectations on this Paulet Borderies Tres Vieilles.
Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: You get a pure musky rancio at first. Very HRR style. Intense candied citrus notes melted to an evolutive rancio.
Mouth: Waxy, tea-ish, infinite refined leathery notes. Hints of green Chatreuse aromas, as you get this typical sweet freshness. Deep cognac, you dive in your glass for hours with this kind of gem. Endless mouth length.
Last Notes: Very bright profile, with stunning tangerine juice notes. Fresh basil scents in the background. Vivid and deep at the same time. Lingering tabasco notes too. Humidor scents with air. Marvelous evolution through the tasting.
It’s very close to 93 in my opinion. Everything is here. But I don’t know why, I didn’t get the same emotion that I get with the Hermitage, the Paul Beau or the Dielen’s Prunier.
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