Laberdolive Domaine du Pillon 1962...

Laberdolive Domaine du Pillon 1962 (44.0%): And we are getting close to the finale... "Six different vintages of Laberdolive" continues today with its fifth vintage, 1962. But before I pour this brandy into my glass let me give you a few things to think about: The year the good people of Laberdolive distilled this Armagnac and filled into the casks was the very same year the whole world held their breaths for months while being glued to their radios listening to the Cuban missile crisis unfold. It was the year Algeria gained their independence from France and the newest movie everyone was talking about was "Lawrence of Arabia". Years 1962 was 58 years ago... Let that sink for a while. Quite astonishing, isn't it..?

Color: Light amber, honey color with stationary teardrops around the glass.

Nose: Honey, beeswax and red apple skin. Candied orange peel and unsweetened quince paste. Green wood, old newspapers and dry cellar. It does have some noticeable old bottle effect but it still noses pretty fresh and fruity. After adding a few drops of water and letting it air for a considerable time it took a turn from being fruity to being piney and herbal. Woolen blankets, stinging nettle leaves and dry clay. Fresh cilantro and fresh mint leaves.

Palate: Menthol bomb..! Eucalyptus cough drops, dried mint and rosemary stalks. I got caught off guard a little here... After the nose I wasn't expecting such a strong herbal and minty palate. Green Chartreuse, juniper berries and even more eucalyptus: Ricola Eucalipto. Again it gets better every second I let it air in the glass: Sage leaves, pine sap gum and roasted fennel seeds.

Finish: Long, herbal and minty... Like a Listerine Ready Tab dissolving in your mouth and slowly fading out. Chamomile tea and sage tea.

Overall: Interesting how much it changed in the glass so much. I had to go back and edit my notes three times. I was worried after my first sip it being so shockingly herbal and minty on the palate to a degree of numbing your tongue but it mellowed out amazingly well and opened up quite nicely in time. It still carries a very herbal and not so fruity profile but I believe this is the main difference between Domaine du Pillon and Domaine de Jaurrey Laberdolive bottlings in general. In the end I enjoyed it a lot.

Price: N/A

88/100