Jean-Luc Pasquet Le Cognac d’André 51,3%

Jean-Luc Pasquet – L’esprit de Famille – Le Cognac d’André – L73 – 51,3%

In memory of André

A Petite Champagne from 1973? There is maybe another expression of the same batch on the market, just saying…

Colour: Full orange, brown lights 

Nose: Full cinnamon. A bit salted with black olives. Then it sinks into a fruits basket. Candied fruits, more precisely on apple and orange. Suddenly, an enormous wave of spiciness arrives paprika, clove, a dash of licorice, and anise. Burnt wood. It is very rich and wet. Burnt wood again. The nose has so many things to say! I have a strong impression to walk through undergrowth during a very rainy day. Fermented scents too, milk and yeast. Some candied cherries in the background.

Palate: Like the nose, the palate is very candied too, a cherry and mango mix. Two dashes of white pepper. It turns bitter and acidulous, something like cider apple and fresh lemon juice. But it moves and you can’t catch it! This is a monster. A great spoon of licorice syrup. A sudden freshness with peppermint and chopped basil. But it’s still a very rich one, and the aftertaste has a good touch of acacia honey. The mouth is very long as if you can keep it for an entire afternoon. 

Last Notes: Licorice sweets. Hints of violet. The fruity part is still there with a full glass of orange juice. The wetness perceived before is back, and the time passed in the glass gives us some mushroomy scents. It is still very fresh too. Green tea has infused here. It’s peppery again. This wonderful Cognac d’André ends on burnt scents like coal and there is also a  sweet bitterness on orange jam. The structure is far more convincing than for the Cadenhead’s Charpentier 30yo. Maybe one of the best Petite Champagne I’ve ever tasted (for the moment, I’m a beginner you know). 

In 1973, David Bowie released his album Aladdin Sane, in which you find the song “The Jean Genie”. After this beautiful tasting, allow me to rename it “The Jean’s Genius”, you know, the gold digger from Eraville (Edit: It is actually Amy’s discovery).

My very subjective note: 90+/100

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WhiskyFun review of this wonderful Jean-Luc Pasquet