Cognac Leyrat Tasting Notes

VSOP 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

A light, youthful nose which is a touch on the spirity side. Pleasantly sweet and straightforward. Almost whisky-esque with a coffee-cream note. Clean and straightforward with a youthful cereal-like character. Hints of promising dried fruit and a good length.

VSOP Premium 40%

Re-Tasted: Mar 2015

Lively, aromatic and elegant stewed apple and hints of cinnamon and herbs. Lightly toasty with dry vanilla and a late hint of orange.

An elegant palate of subtle dried fruit, citrus and light vanilla. Pleasant, building dry spices on the middle and a good, crisp finish with lingering toasted caramel notes.

XO Vieille Reserve 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

The aromas are more pronounced than the VSOP. Heavier and oilier with again that elegant whisky-esque orange fruit character. Good complexity with sweet vanilla and cinnamon spice notes. The palate is very much like the nose with a lovely peppery burst on the middle. The extra age adds complex spice and light wood notes. Easy going and quite long.

XO Premium 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

A lovely complexity to the nose. The orange fruit is possibly purer and amplified. Mellow with again more spice and oak. Lighter with a greater degree of elegance than the ‘Vieille Reserve’ it has more in common with the VSOP.

The palate is drier and less peppery than the ‘Vieille Reserve’ with some lovely maturity and delicate earthy-spice notes, especially on the finish. Less oak than the nose would suggest and again quite elegant. Very long.

XO Elite 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

Like the ‘Premium’ it has a delicacy of character. Possibly a touch subdued but the dried fruit rancio has a greater degree of maturity. The palate also shows this maturity and one would assume that it contains far more older spirit as the wood tannins are a lot more noticeable. The orange fruit has a more ‘peel’ like feel and again the tannins add a dry spiciness to the dried fruit rancio. Lovely length and finish.

Lot No 10 Chais des Petites Tonneaux 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

A light, crisp, slightly oily nose of light syrup, dried fruit, minerals and orange blossom. It displays a lot more elegance with just a touch of oak.

Quite oily on the palate, light in body and youthful with a marked similarity to the VSOP but with a greater depth of dried fruit and light spice. Superb complexity with a noticeable tannic dryness to the finish.

Lot No71 Chai de la Distillerie 40%

Tasted: Oct 2005

Clean and toasty aromas. Really nutty – cashews and macadamia with lightly oiled rich dried fruit. The aromas are again almost whisky like with plenty of mature wood notes – vanilla and marzipan and even a hint of salinity. Dry, light-medium bodied with a serious complexity of dried fruit, citrus, nuts, vanilla and mature toasty oak. Balanced and complex with a long, orange peel and spice, classy finish.

Lot No 50 Chai Ancestral 43%

Tasted: Feb 2006

50 year old Spirits.

Clean and incredibly aromatic with luscious orange fruit, mature quite heavy complex spices – cinnamon and pepper along with a delicate rancio of dried citrus fruit and prunes soaked in alcohol.. Immense depth which overloads the senses with soft liquor like sun dried apricot fruits.

Dry on the palate, opening with the softest, subtle spices imaginable, followed by dried orange/ apricot fruit, drying wood tannins and very intense tangy spices – cinnamon and clove. Quite a feminine style which gently caresses the senses with a lovely elegance and length.