Occasionally The Whisky Agency heads to some of the best cognac houses in France for a malternative bottling. You might remember the exceptional Grande Champagne Lot 19 No. 24?
Before the summer they release a new Cognac Petite Champagne Lot 19 No. 70, which should refer to a 1970 vintage and a venerable age of 49 years.
Cognac Petite Champagne 49 yo 1970 (49,2%, The Whisky Agency 2019, Lot 19 No. 70, single barrel, 234 btl.)
Nose: elegant and balanced. We find sour plums and apricots, tobacco leaves and Ponzu sauce. Some candied oranges and pineapple bits. Honeyed notes in the background, as well as some cinnamon and all-spice. Hazelnuts and polished furniture as well.
Mouth: a slightly darker profile now, not the rare tropical fruits from Vallein Tercinier for instance. Some pepper and minty / eucalyptus notes, light grassy touches. Behind this there are soaked raisins, hints of maple syrup, lime, blackcurrant leaf, herbal potions and some juicy tobacco. Although it’s rather on the dry side, there’s very little actual wood extract to be noticed.
Finish: medium, on sour fruits, mint and a light resinous touch.
Luscious, fresh cognac, for those who like to have more body and arguably higher complexity than the fruit bombs from VT. Another excellent malternative. Still available from a few retailers (often at a premium), but just now it also arrived at The Whisky Exchange for the original price. Update: sold out, but they also have other interesting TWA releases.