Review by: Raygun

Ah, JLP. The first brandy that made me go “Wow!” was a previous Afish JLP, Lot 73. Unfortunately I waited too long and missed out on a bottle. This is still available, and I was luckily able to get hold of a sample first to see if I want a bottle. If it’s as good as the other, I expect I will. Let’s find out. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Jean-Luc Pasquet

Bottler: Jean-Luc Pasquet

Region/style: Fine Bois Cognac

ABV: 57.1%. Surely cask strength.

Age: 50-ish. Combination of distillate from 1968-1972. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: French oak.

Color: 1.5 mahogany

Price: $240 from Fine Drams

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Nose: Very woody. Furniture shop, orange zest, apple cake, and tea. Hint of florals. Rich and also has a kind of vibrancy to it. 

Palate: Strong wood again. Spiced apple cake, grape jam, thyme, Assam tea. The wood character dominates. A slight perfumey character. It’s a little tight at first, and water helps open it up. The spice gets stronger: cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander. 

Finish: Quite tannic. Orange peel, almost burnt caramel, Assam tea. Not as much apple; more about the oak here. Has some bitterness here. Does well with some water, which also accentuates the spice. 

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Conclusion: I would say I liked the Lot 73 better. This was heavier on the woody side, which is less my personal preference. The fruit was there, but it got a little buried under the oak. Still very good, but not my favorite.  

Buy a bottle? I’ll skip this one.  Not quite my style

Score: 84

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent brandy worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.