Domaine D'Esperance VSOP Aged Cobrafire...

Domaine D'Esperance VSOP Aged Cobrafire (51.5%): Second Armagnac and second Domaine D'Esperance in a row... This bottling is actually an extension to PM Spirits' standalone Cobrafire brand which was only an unaged grape spirit before which was released not more than a couple years ago if I am not mistaken. The spirit in my sample bottle is a blend of four casks again like the Bourbon Steak and Corkdorks pick but this time all the casks selected were holding spirits distilled from Folle Blanche grapes. They were filled between 2001 and 2015 and the batch got bottled at cask strength without any additives.

Color: Medium amber, polished copper sheet color with stubborn and sizable teardrops slowly turning into slow and oily legs.

Nose: Cream sherry, white cranberry juice and ripe yellow plums. Sweet and fruity... Some young alcohol, fruit hard candies and candied orange peels. A couple drops of water: Churros, honey and sweetened rum.

Palate: Orange peels again, dried stone fruits and bitters. Maraschino cherries, honey syrup and cinnamon. Tastes like old fashioned a little to me now... Adding water thinned out the texture a lot and didn't really add anything to make it worth doing so.

Finish: Medium with dark chocolate, syrup and nectarine jam.

Overall: What would be the right way to describe this bottling..? It's definitely not one of the most adventurous Armagnacs I've tasted but it's also not uninteresting. It's sweet, fruity and lightly spiced and actually very good. Maybe too predictable... Or too safe... From a whisky drinker's perspective let me put it this way: Take this as your favorite blended whisky. You might not want to be challenged every time you reach for a bottle in your cabinet and during those times this would be the perfect choice. Also priced perfectly right.

Price: $85

86/100

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