Flesnummer 70

Tasting notes by Cognac Expert (blog.cognac-expert.com)

Eye: The Cognac pours a deep, dark copper color, with some bronze reflections and reddish tints. Coating the glass walls with the Cognac for the first time, I notice a thick disk that sets and refuses to cast legs. Legs will drop but patience is required.

Nose: Hovering my nose over the glass, I immediately smell freshly polished old wood furniture. There is an initial forceful presence from the wood. With a little time in the glass, black licorice arrives along with pine sap, leather belt, fine maple syrup, and Armagnac soaked raisins and prunes. With even more air time, a delicate nuttiness enters the scene. Finally, the nose as a whole comes off as quite roasted. This clearly noses as a Cognac, but it tiptoes into mature Armagnac and even sherry-bomb whisky territory. Still though, there is a structured spicy aspect of the woodiness that suggests this is firmly a Cognac. It’s quite a monstrous nose and a far departure from so many of the other delicate fruit-forward Cognacs I’ve tasted to date.

Palate: Intense spicy initial attack. It’s a mouthful. The first thing to note is the overall weight and density of the Cognac. It’s certainly full bodied and syrupy in texture, but the sheer force of the Cognac prevents it from feeling heavy or gloppy. Definitely be sure to take a small first sip to calibrate the palate; buckle up and enjoy the ride thereafter. It tastes of black licorice, chocolate fudge, medjool dates, maple syrup, dark fir honey (miel de sapin here in France), and various candied dark fruits. The Armagnac soaked fruits are there as well: cherries, raisins, and prunes. Vanilla is present but it takes a backseat to the other dark and brooding flavors. The Cognac clings to the teeth as it is swallowed, and as the finish approaches one feels a tannic bite, but with cushion thankfully. The pine sappy notes come towards the end. As expected, this is a Cognac of tremendous character. It successfully pulls off being charming and rustic simultaneously. This Mauxion Bons Bois is a take-no-prisoners, unapologetic flavor bomb.

Finish: The finish is of course long, but rustic and bittersweet. I’d also classify the finish as roaring. For my palate, a similar experience can be had by tasting Ardbeg 10: massive waves of flavor come pouring back a few seconds after the sip is down. The intensity of the experience is so high that I found myself tasting notes of this Cognac long after the tasting session. And at various moments after the tasting, I kept running my tongue over my teeth and actually got flavors from this Cognac. Seriously. There is an interesting contrast between the smells and the flavors into the finish. The aromas hint at something dessert-like and sweet, but the finish confirms this is anything but that. The underlying force from the wood provides a sturdy backbone and drives the Cognac forward with dry spice and dark candied fruit.

Conclusions: The Mauxion Bons Bois Mutlimillésime is quite an experience. Everything about this Cognac is high impact, and therefore memorable. Those who will consider purchasing this bottle must be comfortable with overproof spirits. One must be willingly looking for a Cognac that is not fruit-forward but that is spice and oak driven. One must consider that elegance and rusticity can coexist and not clash with each other. And finally, one must be comfortable with the fact this is most likely going to be quite different from many of the other Cognacs already on the drinks rack – take this from someone who has tremendous respect for a well-blended XO. For the cooler months headed our way, it’s a real killer!