24 drams till Christmas 2016 #23: Delamain Pale & Dry XO Cognac

Delamain Pale & Dry XO Cognac

Delamain Pale & Dry XO CognacDram data:
Brand: Delamain
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015
Age: XO
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered(?) and uncoloured, no additives

Hey, isn’t this supposed to be a whisky series? Well, with whisky prices rising by the hour these days, it certainly can’t hurt to look into #malternatives as well! So there you have it: My first Cognac review, written from a whisky lover’s perspective!

Tasting notes:
Colour:
 light amber
The nose starts off totally delicious! Seriously! Stunning for 40% ABV! Sweet, thickened, dense grape juice with grape skins mixed with a very well-balanced, hugely fragrant oak note. Flowery too, rose petals and violets (is there such a thing as FWP for Cognac?). Dried, juicy, sweet oranges and mangos, with proper artisanal summer honey, dried herbs and light spices – a bit of cinnamon and a few cloves. Oh, this is lovely, thick, rich, filled with aroma. You can tell there’s some well-aged stock in there and I’m being told Delamain don’t add any additives to their Cognacs. A dram that instantly puts a smile on your face upon nosing. Let’s hope it carries through on the palate! Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas 2016 #23: Delamain Pale & Dry XO Cognac”

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#Malternative tasting: Wagging Finger Gin batch 1

Wagging Finger Gin batch 1

Wagging Finger Gin batch 1Dram data:
Distillery: Wagging Finger
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: 2016
Bottled: 2016
Age: unaged
Limitation: –
Alcohol: 44%

Tasting notes:
Colour: 
crystal clear (what else…?)
With whisk(e)y prices at an ever-increasing all-time high many whisky drinkers are branching out, on the lookout for so-called malternatives, alternatives to malt whisky. Well, I can’t blame them, even though malt whisky is still my main tipple. But I am a curious mind so I might just as well publish the odd non-whisky review from time to time if I stumble across something interesting. Let me know if that’s something that interests you as well!
The subject of this review is batch #1 of the Wagging Finger gin, by the new Wagging Finger distillery in the Netherlands. Let’s stick our nose in!
The dry nose has a touch of raw (but not unpleasant) alcohol on the first sniff paired with loads of fresh, slightly woody, resiny juniper berries followed by sandalwood, orange oil, mixed flower petals and a very dense, dried herbal mixture as a base – layered and complex. After several minutes lighter citrus notes appear. Dry, layered, fresh and very pleasant. Continue reading “#Malternative tasting: Wagging Finger Gin batch 1”

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