Dit is uw kans om de unieke Cognac van Tiffon Lot 19:22 te proeven. Berry Bros & Rudd heeft speciaal voor Kirsch drie zeer exclusieve 100 jaar oude Cognac gebotteld:

Tiffon Lot 19:22 Cognac Fins Bois 

Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 91/100 points

I don't think I've ever come across any such very old 'Bois', except in old bottles of blended cognac (I would suppose). Remember the ranking, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires. But that's all only theory, as we could find out, for example, at Grosperrin's. Fins Bois is by far the largest of the Crus.

Colour: dark gold.

Nose: less aromatic than the Petite Champagne, rather more on putty and fresh paint, almond skins, Wulong tea (blue-green tea), fresh bark, pine needles, apple peel… Green and yellow plums too, but no mirabelles. A little plain grass – imagine, 100 years old grass! And grassier oils, not quite olive oil, rather grape-pip oil… I have to add that I'm fond of this kind of more austere profile.

Mouth: same feelings, this is relatively grassy, rather on green fruits, greengages, gooseberries, also star fruit perhaps… The Wulong tea is there too, as well as some melon skin, fresh French beans… And green melons. What's really spectacular, this time again, is that there's no proper 'oaky oak' standing in the way.

Finish: probably not the longest ever, but this freshness is impressive. Even the aftertaste remains a wee bit grassy.

Comments: far from being just 'a lowlander', I'm finding this tighter, more austere style of cognac, extremely pretty too. I just cannot believe that we're comparing pure 'Crus' that were distilled one hundred years ago. I'm not sure the bottlers and distillers know about the grape varietals, though, that would be interesting. Perhaps was there still some pre-phylloxera folle blanche?

Tiffon Lot 19:22 Cognac Petite Champagne

Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 92/100 points

This Cognac 'should' have been distilled exactly 100 years ago, or at least the grapes should have been harvested in 1922. Unless the mention '19:22' would rather be related to Proverb 19:22 in the Bible (not the Whisky Bible), which says that 'Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.' That's exactly right!

Colour: amber.

Nose: this one has rather more wax than the previous ones, it's rather more on bee products, honeys of course, fresh pollen, with just a little liquorice wood and then old ripe apples, quinces and pears, which is always stunning. There's also the expected trilogy menthol/camphor/tobacco, but in all subtlety. No massive chocolate and tea this time, rather a tiny touch of mango completing this astonishing showcase of delicacy.

Mouth: fruits all over the place! This is astonishing indeed, I had been expecting more wood. Same honey, wax and pollen combination at first, then same apples, pears and quinces, which is one thousand times less pedestrian as you would believe in this context. Tiny herbs and flowers are completing the picture, as well as our friends the dried figs, which we find in almost all very old aged spirits. Only a tiny piney/putty-like note reminds us that this was made four years after the end of WWII. Hard to believe.

Finish: medium, rather honeyed, with notes of very, very old Tokaji. Say 6 puttonyos. A funny, infinitesimal hint of grilled and buttered maize in the aftertaste. Perhaps…

Comments: no fragility whatsoever at this kind of age and strength. Should we really score such a divine old spirit? Isn't doing this a little vulgar too?
SGP:561 - 92 points

Tiffon Lot 19:22 Cognac Borderie

Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 93/100 points

Indeed, Borderies is the smallest of the Crus, it is located in the immediate northwest of the city of Cognac and gathers less that 5% of all the vines in Cognac. It is said to display notes of violets, let's check that!

Colour: amber.

Nose: the fruits are back, both fresh ones and dried ones. In a way, it's the brightest of all three Tiffons on the nose, perhaps the most complex as well, as it's showcasing additional earthy and floral tones after the fruity and honeyed Petite Champagne and the grassier Fins Bois. We're even finding violets (there, they were right), otherwise wisteria and jasmine. Peaches and melons as far as fruits are concerned, a little heather honey, dried figs, marmalade… Perhaps is it also the easiest? Which, in my book, is a quality. Brilliant.

Mouth: we're even closer to the Petite Champagne, there's some beeswax and pollen, some praline and liquid caramel, even a drop of sugarcane juice, many dried fruits, preserved peaches, a little liquorice, a tiny touch of chocolate and tea, a drop of oloroso and one of walnut wine, some apple crumble, a tiny cup of mead, some nougat, and there, in the background, a little resin, from the wood I would suppose. Probably the most consensual of them three Crus.

Finish: rather long, this time with more spices, cinnamon… Marmalade and liquorice in the aftertaste. Oh and there, violets.

Comments: the Fins Bois was more intellectual, while the Petite Champagne was not just an easy old sipper either. Which this Borderies rather is. Well, I am a simple, uncomplicated person, so this is my favourite.
SGP:561 - 93 points.