Larsen Aqua Ignis

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What We Know

Age is on average somewhere between VS and VSOP

Fins Bois and Bons Bois, blend

Ugni Blanc

Distilled without the lees

Aged initially in new standard 300+ L Tronçais oak barrels

Secondary aging in new 225L Tronçais oak barrels
- Smaller barrels are submerged in water and steamed-toasted three times
- Eaux-de-vie enters second barrel at 50% ABV after reduction with water

42.3% ABV

Unconfirmed additives

San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019 Double Gold

Nose

Vanilla, clover honey, fruitcake, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, fruit blossom, cocoa, flakey pastry, cream, green tea, candied almond, grape skins, pear, orange zest, yellow peach, mango, unripe banana

Palate

Butterscotch, cloves, fruit blossom, milk chocolate, hazelnut, red apple, lime zest, orange juice, grape juice, dried apricot, cherry, yellow raisin

Finish

Loads of citrus, fruit blossom, and some juicy apples

Overall Thoughts

Burnt orange in color with almost copper like flecks throughout. A very pleasant nose on this cognac. There’s quit a bit of layers, but also it’s very gentle and soothing in the approach. Notably, a sweetness and soft spice hits first. Vanilla and honey is upfront with some ginger and nutmeg. Then comes the fruit, which is no surprise from a Fins Bois/Bons Bois blend. There is a ton of orange zest and peaches as well as some tropical mango. Fruit blossoms carry on throughout the nosing, but again that’s classic Fins Bois. There is a green tea or grassy note that kept popping in and out.

With the first taste, the slightly higher alcohol content (42.3%) was actually a bit noticeable. Not in a bad way, but just a little extra bite. Much like the nose, this is a pretty fruit forward cognac. Back to orange and this time a really nice lime zest flavor. That was a nice surprise! Dark cherries, yellow raisin, and dried apricot finish out the fruits found here. Not much in terms of barrel spices on the palate. There’s a touch of toasted hazelnut and the sweetness we smelled earlier is showing as butterscotch now. The finish is all citrus zest and fruit blossoms.

Larsen Aqua Ignis is really focused on the unique aging of this expression. With the secondary maturation happening in triple steam toasted barrels, they say that it gives intense mocha and vanilla notes. There’s for sure vanilla, and while I didn’t specifically get mocha, the cocoa note came through which could certainly be misinterpreted as mocha. Larsen is the first to release a product with this technique. I’m always a big fan of innovation and pushing the boundaries, so kudos to them.

It’s hard to tell what specifically the steam toasted barrels offered without doing a side by side with the same eau-de-vie not finished in the barrels. If you enjoy Hennessy VS, Leyrat VSOP Reserve, or Gauiter VS, I’m confident you’d enjoy this one. Personally, I liked the nose better than the palate, but I’m still looking forward to finishing this bottle.