Review #: 560
Description: Through The Grapevine: Jean-Luc Pasquet Single Cask 95
Spirit: Cognac
Background: This is a bottling of JLP cognac from the Grand Champagne region of France by La Maison du Whisky. With some of the differences of Cognac, I believe this is cask strength (though I know producers can add water during maturation) and there are a lot of bottles of this cask, but they can also be huge compared to say a bourbon barrel. Likely to be distilled in 1995, it’s probably around 25 or 26 years old but not knowing more about the specific cask, I won’t label it officially with an age.
Distillery – Jean-Luc Pasquet
Bottler – La Maison Du Whisky
Brand – Through The Grapevine
Selection – N/A
ABV – 51.6%
Age – NAS
Nose – Lovely balance of oak and rich fruit, sweet tobacco, creme brulee, strawberry jam
Taste – Again, a really nice blend of age and fruit with sweet cream coffee, ripe grapes, almond cookie, kind of reminds me of a sweet fruit danish
Finish – Nice and warm with the fruit tannins coming in along with nice barrel spice. Can also get some candied ginger out of it
Score: 8
Would I buy a bottle? I say yes at $150. Even crazier this sample came from someone who bought it for about $50.
Thoughts: I really need to drink more brandy. There are some great French producers out there than can just balance the distillate and oak so well and JLP seems to do it consistently. The sweet is so well balanced and the fruit isn’t overpowering but still prominent. This is a perfect cool, fall weather pour.