What We Know
- Average age between 5-10 years
- Grande Champagne, blend
- Ugni Blanc and Colombard (up to 5% in the blend)
- Distilled on the lees
- Combination of Limousin and Tronçais oak for aging
- 10 months in brand new oak before being transferred to older casks for remainder of aging
- Both humid and dry cellar aging
- 40.3% ABV
- Additives: None
- Ultimate Spirits Challenge 94 Points 2015, IWSC Silver Medal 2020, Concours Général Agricole Ministere de L’Agriculture Gold Medal 2020, Bartender Spirits Awards Double Gold 2020/2021 and Gold in 2022
Nose
Vanilla, caramel, browned butter, fruit pastry, white pepper, nutmeg, candied ginger, rose, honeysuckle, cedar, gravel, Asian pear, lemon, grapefruit peel, orange, apricot, dried mango, yellow raisin, grape must
Palate
Vanilla, honey, butterscotch, clove, allspice, ginger, flowers, licorice, milk chocolate, toffee, peppermint, almond, apple, lime zest, candied orange, cherry
Finish
Honey, soft barrel spices, and flowers
Overall Thoughts
Bronze and mahogany color with some honey reflections. The nose has a fairly punchy sweetness right out of the bottle. Lots of vanilla and browned butter dominate with a touch of fruit pastry. There are hints of spice, but nothing that really hits hard besides some candied ginger. After the cognac sits for a bit, lots of fruity notes become more prominent. Asian pear and grapefruit peel mix with some lemon and apricot. A bit of sweet tropical mango is in there, as well. It wasn’t until about 15 minutes in the glass that a bit of gravel and grape must began to show.
On the palate, much like the nose, it starts with a rich sweetness. However, it’s very inviting. Honey and butterscotch coat your mouth. There’s a wonderful toffee flavor with a whisper of licorice. Milk chocolate, almonds, and peppermint follow closely behind. Not super fruity, but what’s there is candied orange and cherries. There’s a quick presence of lime zest. The finish is medium length with a round honey sweetness and a great floral ending.
I don’t really expect much from younger (under 10 years) Grande Champagne cognac. They just need more time to fully develop. But I must admit, the Drouet VSOP is a great example of an exception to this. The blend consists of eaux-de-vie that are up to 10 years old, far beyond the minimum requirements of a VSOP. This ensures more finesse and depth than then legal four year minimum.
Drouet VSOP has a rich palate to it, but I wouldn’t call it a sweet cognac. There are also fruits, flowers, and some spice. Some are more obvious; some you need to search for. Yes, it’s dominated by sweeter flavors and aromas, but since no additives are used by Drouet, we can be assured that any inherent sweetness is coming from the fruit itself and the barrels. Ten months in new oak will pull plenty of vanillin from the wood. Want to soften that sweet edge a little bit? A few ice cubes will make this a perfect aperitif before dinner.
And since it did so well at the Bartender Spirits Award (LINK HERE), I couldn’t not make a cocktail with it. As I’m sitting here sipping on this Sazerac, I can see why it did so well. Besides having a well-balanced flavor on its own, it works great in a mixed drink, too. If anyone is a fan of a Rémy Martin or Hennessy VSOP and want to branch out to a smaller producer, I’d suggest giving this one a try. I’m guessing you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of character that’s in this bottle.
Check out more information about Drouet by clicking HERE.
