Camus Caribbean Expedition

What We Know

• Age of just over 5 years
• All crus used, small batch blend of only 10 casks
• Distilled on the lees
• Ugni Blanc
• Limousin oak used for aging
  • First four years of aging were spent in Cognac AOC
  • 45 days of aging on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean
  • One year of aging, vertically stacked, in a traditional Bajan cellar in Barbados
• 45.3% ABV

Nose

Vanilla bean, butterscotch, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut flakes, violets, oak, cocoa, green walnut, pastry, toasted marshmallow, apple, pear, orange zest, apricot, white peach, pineapple, dried banana chips, yellow raisin

Palate

Vanilla, honey, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, licorice, toffee, dark chocolate, toasted hazelnut, baked apple, lime peel, burnt orange, overripe apricot, dried mango

Finish

Barrel spices and dried fruits with a touch of nuts and chocolate

Overall Thoughts

Medium amber in color with highlights of honey yellow. As is typical of Camus, this is yet another very aromatic expression. Lots and lots of fruits on the nose. Apple, citrus, apricot, and banana chips. A little bit of violets and coconut flakes. Some spices are more sweet like nutmeg and there’s a bit of vanilla bean. Even a little bit of toasted marshmallow came in to play. The palate goes softer on the fruits and heavier on the richer flavors. The standouts are baked apple and dried mango underneath toffee and toasted hazelnut. Spicy cloves and ginger make the vanilla and licorice pop. The finish is a medium length and dry with good wood tannin. Milk chocolate and dried fruits close everything out nicely.

This expression is a welcome addition to my collection. The nose is so fruity. There’s a little extra heat than you might be used to at 45.3% ABV, so be prepared. The palate is a lot richer than I was expecting, too. The dark chocolate and walnut aren’t (usually) something you get in a five year old cognac. That seems to take a bit more time to develop. Is that the tropical aging coming in to play? Maybe. I was anticipating the absence of flowers in this bottle. I don’t know why, but I figured being aged in a much warmer climate it might concentrate other aromas over the floral ones. Violets are there, however, but very subtle.

This is definitely a bottle for collectors and fans of Camus. I think overall it’s a really good cognac. I’d love to see what more time in a tropical climate would do to it. Two years? Five? Ten? Without being able to taste a side by side of their control barrel that remained in Cognac vs. the tropical aged ones, it’s hard to know exactly what was altered in the glass by this experiment. That would be quite fun to do a comparison. That observation aside, I’m still very happy with the purchase of this bottle. It’s a good sipper with an interesting story.

The idea of shipping cognac to finish aging elsewhere isn’t new as Hine does it with all of their Early Landed bottles, but this one is definitely unique in the process that it took. Camus has been pushing some innovation within the category for a while now with their Port cask finish, Saint-Aulaye, and Ile de Ré line. Any time a house will try an experiment to see what happens, I’m for it. Even if they fail, good for them for trying. That’s the kind of fresh new take we should be looking towards in cognac if they ever want to get rid of the stuffy stereotype.

Now don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love the traditions and the classic cognac style we have today. Nor do I think the flood gates should be unleashed in cognac and anyone can do whatever they want. The regulations in place from the BNIC are there for a reason, to keep the tradition alive and hold brands accountable when needed. But it’s fun (and important) to shake things up a bit from time to time. Plus, the younger generation is looking for innovation and new products across all categories of spirits. If aging cognac like Camus has done with this Caribbean Expedition or doing barrel finishes like the Ferrand Renegade series gets more people excited to try cognac, why would you not want to do it? Kudos to Camus. Hopefully they keep it rolling.

Check out more information about Camus by clicking HERE.