Here we have a rather delicious Delamain Grande Champagne Cognac, made with some particularly well-aged eaux-de-vie. Said well-aged eaux-de-vie is blended together and then aged for two years further before being bottled.
Very earthy, very vegetal. A good core of vanilla decorated with mellow oak spice and damp tobacco.
Considering the level of cognac, nose, taste, aftertaste should be richer.
Not fully up to par with price. A bit flat and the alcohol takes over. Get the feeling of a standard xo. Somewhat spicy, hint of tobacco and caramel. A little bit sweetness. Tasted in a Riedel cognac glass.
This one takes a good 45 minutes in the glass to express itself. Definitely wood, damp tobacco and caramel overtones. No fruitiness whatsoever, or florality - then again, I suppose 30 -35 years in barrels has eliminated most of these components. Tastes a little different from a previous bottle...almost like it is muted and needs hours of oxidation prior to drinking. I blend this half and half with another XO cognac starting with 'C', and find this synergy makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
