Courvoisier VSOP 40%
Don’t have many details about this one, except that it’s a blend of Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Fins Bois.
Colour: Gold, green lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Apple syrup at first. Hazelnut cream. Excessive sugariness. Pinesap a bit. Some indistinct humid scents.
Mouth: Light texture. Honey for sure. Orange jam. Very short mouth length. Raisins. A little buttery but a strong dryness dominates the aftertaste. It ends on a very unpleasant acidity, something like wallpaper glue (I’ve never eaten it, but I suppose it owns this taste).
Last Notes: A light fruitiness on orange and lemon juice. Cardboard-y scents. Hints of caramel. A few caramelized nut aromas. A bit more of mouth length than at the beginning of the tasting, but it isn’t convincing at all.
Okay-ish. But way more imprecise than a craft VSOP like a JLP Organic 04 or Grosperrin Cepages.
74/100
#2
FRAPIN VSOP 40%
100% GC. Another classic in the VSOP range. 40%.
Colour: Orange, green lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Heady smells. Orange blossom at first. Orange liquor. Young bananas. Quite fruity. But the fruitiness is dominated by the opulent sugariness. Too bad.
Mouth: Light texture with acidity. On pinesap and menthol. A few dried figs notes. A little of honey tones. Medium mouth length. Candied lemon. An unpleasant dryness on the aftertaste.
Last Notes: Cinnamon. Light caramel notes. It seems to be very thin with air. A very acidic aftertaste. Strong oak influence too.
A tad unbalanced, imprecise, but some good aspects.
77+/100
#3
MARTELL VSOP 40%
One of the most sold cognacs ever. A classic, more designed for cocktails than tasting, but hey, let’s give it a chance.
Colour: Brown with gold lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Pear syrup and apple juice. A massive sugariness. Light coffee smells. A tad of cardboard shades. Pinesap. Wood.
Mouth: Sweet texture. Pear syrup again. Sugar. Sugar. Sugar again. But hints of fruitiness and spiced notes.
Last Notes: Orange zest. Sugar. And that’s all. Maybe a little of wood dust. Oakay-ish palate.
Structure and a tad of aromas. Okay-ish and a bit more precise than the other VSOPs tasted here.
77/100
#4
REMY MARTIN VSOP 40%
Fine Champagne. VSOP. Double Gold Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024.
Colour: Gold, orange lights. Regular medium tears
Nose: Apricot jam at first. Caramel sweets. Orange juice with its typical bitterness. Honey. All the flavors are melted, it’s very difficult to distingue all the smells. Hints of cider apple. Sawdust. Coconut powder.
Mouth: Light texture. A strong acidity on the palate to begin. Lemon juice. Vanilla cream. An unpleasant dryness on the aftertaste. An evident lack of finesse. Cardboard-y. Dry chestnut a bit.
Last Notes: Vanilla stick. So much cardboard and random oak-y notes. Not my cup of tea at all.
Imprecise. Probably more drinkable with a good tonic water.
73/100
Well, I think I prefer other kinds of cognac. But if these VSOP exist, it’s because there is a demand. And a huge one.
0 comments on “Four VSOP in a row”Add yours →