Cognac Voyer: Caroni, 1993, Personelle #7, Ancestral #8

Some time ago I reported on the collaboration between distributor The Nectar and Malternative Belgium. In a first session I tried most of the core range cognacs from François Voyer.

Today we’re moving upwards with a couple of specialty releases from the Paradis. We start with Ancestral N°8, a combination of 1948 and 1971 spirit.

 

Cognac François Voyer ‘Ancestral n°8’ – Grande Champagne (44,3%, OB 2023)

Nose: furniture polish, sour berries and nice hints of flowers. Minty notes and orange blossom, preserved peaches, as well as darker hints of liquorice and cedar wood. Hints of figs and chestnut honey in the background. It is fairly delicate so it needs time to open up.

Mouth: meadow honey at first, followed by more peaches and woody notes. Then hints of longans, bergamots, quinces, vanilla, orange syrup and polished oak. Some flower jelly. Sweet and sour notes mingle nicely, with a woody sourness balanced by nice caramelized notes. Mild hints of tobacco and cinnamon, as well as some mint and nutmeg.

Finish: medium long, with a lovely rancio note, cedar wood and oak polish.

Overall I find this a bit less exuberant and less tropical than their Hors d’Âge. That said, it is a very refined and velvety cognac.

 

The next one is supposedly the nec plus ultra in the current line-up. Collection Personelle n°7 is made up of 1920, 1928, 1930 and 1946 vintages with a light emphasis on the last vintage. So spirits aged between 77 and 103 years.

 

Cognac François Voyer ‘Collection Personelle Lot 7’ – Grande Champagne (44,3%, OB 2022, 72 btl.)

Nose: a heady mix of flower petals, preserved peaches and fresh apricots or vineyard peaches, peppermint and furniture polish. Liquorice and cedar wood in the background. Also leather upholstery, jasmine tea and nutmeg. After a while the fruity side really shines through.

Mouth: very minty. Peppermint, liquorice and eucalyptus. Still floral touches, with a woody / spicy side and herbal honey. In the second half fresh and dried fruits come out, like apricots, raisins, bergamots and orange peels. Ginger and black as well, perhaps a little more pungent than I expected.

Finish: long, with minty notes, dried herbs, cedar wood and a light bitter edge.

Very good, although the wood spice has its say, leaving some of the fruits in the shadow. Score: 89/100

 

The next one is a 10 year old spirit in called Cask Experience n°3. It started as Grande Champagne cognac in Limousin oak, and then underwent a finishing of several months in a cask that previously contained a 1998 Caroni rum. Since rum casks are not allowed in the cognac designation, it reverts back to a spirit drink.

 

François Voyer 10 yo – Cask Experience n°3 (45%, OB 2023, Caroni ’98 rum cask finish)

Nose: yellow apples and white grapes, alongside lime and hints of vanilla. White flowers too. Light hints of raisins. I wouldn’t say there is a lot of Caroni character to be found, although there’s certainly a hint of creamy banana, dried herbs and a faint whiff of smoke in the distance.

Mouth: even more creamy now, with grape sweetness, bananas, lime candy and echoes of guava. Apple cake and mirabelles. In a second wave there are drier notes, like hay, medicinal herbs and light, mentholated smoke.

Finish: quite long, still herbal, with mint and medicinal touches.

A really fresh cognac which exceeded our expectations for a 10 year old. The Caroni influence is subtle, but it grows stronger in the mouth. An interesting experiment. Score: 86/100

 

François Voyer Extra adds 2% ABV but it is also made up of spirits between 32 and 40 years of age.

 

Cognac François Voyer Millésime 1993 – Grande Champagne (53,6%, OB 2023)

Nose: ah, a floral entry that we saw in all four Voyer expressions today. There’s a nice honeyed roundness to it, and some nice hints of varnish. Vanilla pastry, hints of marzipan and floral jasmine. Then some rancio notes, stewed berries and quince jam, pear syrup, leather and very subtle hints of wet earth and oriental spice. Very all-round.

Mouth: really fragrant (almost violets) and vibrant. It mixes bananas, pink grapefruits, other tropical notes and dried cherries with clove, pink pepper and earthy spice. Fresh leather and peppermint. Spanning the whole range from floral fruits down to dark spice and hints of cold coffee.

Finish: very long, with a herbal bitterness, alongside roasted nuts and hints of liquorice.

A typical floral nose with beautiful rancio elements, juicy fruits and a really nice punch. Pretty much every element that I’m looking for in cognac. In that sense it’s even more complete than these really old compositions. Score: 90/100