Review #: 251
Description: Grosperrin N°45 Fins Bois Cognac: Aficionados x Fine Drams
Spirit: Cognac
Background: The oldest in the trio of brandies selected by Aficionados group and bottled/sold by FineDrams, this cognac was distilled in the Fins Bois region “allegedly” in 1945. As a bit of a history (and specifically WWII) nerd, it is crazy to think when this spirit started it’s life and the things that happened in this world before being bottled in 2020 at cask strength without any additives, a true rarity of this age of spirit. As of writing this, this marks the oldest spirit I have ever tried. As of posting, there still are a few bottles left to purchase.
Distillery – Grosperrin
Bottler – Grosperrin
Brand – Grosperrin
Selection – Aficionados x FineDrams
ABV – 50.8%
Age – 75 Years
Nose – Lots of menthol, tannins, maple syrup, caramel, peach rings, cherry throat lozenge, campari
Taste – Stewed cherries, unripe blackberries, oak syrup, black coffee, very rich and chewy mouthfeel, some white grape juice comes in right as I swallow.
Finish – Lots of cherry cola, more menthol and cherry lozenge, blackberries, burnt matchstick, espresso,, tannins make themself apparent and dry out my tongue, but not as bad as I would expect from something 75 years old.
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? The history nerd in me says yes, but trying to be objective, I would have a hard time dropping $450 on this. For what it is, I think it’s good value but that is a lot of money.
Thoughts: This was super interesting and a treat to try. There was definitely more menthol and oak on the nose, with a bit more medicinal fruit to it. The oak is so much more controlled than I would have expected, though very much prevalent. In context, $450 for this is a great value, but for the spirit, I would prefer to spend that money elsewhere.