Maxime Trijol Grande Champagne Reserve

What We Know

• Average age of 35 years
• Grande Champagne, blend
• Ugni Blanc
• Distilled on the lees
• Mostly Limousin oak barrels for aging
  • Eaux-de-vie transfers to different barrels approx. 4-5 times throughout maturation period
• 40% ABV
• Unconfirmed additives
• New York International Spirits Competition – Cognac Producer of the Year 2016 and 2017

Nose

Madagascar vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, licorice, oak, furniture polish, leather, toasted hazelnut, red apple, orange zest, overripe peach, cherry, plum, raisin

Palate

Caramel, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco, leather, almond, dust, pear, lemon, candied orange, dried apricot, fig

Finish

Cocoa, dry wood tannins, and a lingering caramel sweetness

Overall Thoughts

Copper in color with bright reflections of orange and amber. On the nose, there are very bold aromas. The first hit is of Madagascar vanilla and baking spices. Leather jumps out from the glass even when it’s a good distance away from you. A funky presence is noticeable, like undergrowth and overripe fruits. There’s a fleeting whisper of flowers that comes and goes, but is unidentifiable.

The palate is not shy. There is a ton of wood influence here. Spices like black pepper, clove, and cinnamon dominate the initial taste. It’s followed by dark chocolate and tobacco with little blips of candied orange and rancio. Not much for fruit here except dried apricot and pear. Caramel and almond round everything out nicely. The finish is cocoa and dried oak which lasts for quite a while.

It goes without saying that the Maxime Trijol Grande Champagne Reserve is all about being assertive. If you enjoy spice and wood influence, this is right up your alley. It’s not as heavy as something like Braastad XO Fine Champagne, but very much in that realm. While I’m not a smoker, I can see how this cognac would work well with a cigar.

I love the chocolate and oak notes in this expression. There’s almost a Caribbean-like quality to this cognac. If I were blind tasting, it would be possible to mistake this for a Barbados style rum. I think that funky presence I mentioned before is something along the lines of wet earth/leaves and overripe fruits. While a whiskey drinker would certainly enjoy this cognac, I think I’d rather offer this to a rum drinker to try and lure them over to the world of grape spirits. All in all, this bottle is a great purchase from a house with a lot of history in the region. If you like something big on the palate, this one is for you.