Paul Beau Vieille Reserve Cognac

Tasting Notes by Tim F

• N

  Polished wood, apple pie, cocoa powder, sunflowers, castor sugar, then pronounced cedarwood, peeled tree bark, clove. Old books, leather sofas - yes, we're in a Gentlemen's Club. Some lighter citrussy aromas, then darker fruits: damson, plum and perhaps raspberry? Subtle and constantly evolving - there's always something you can't quite put your finger on here.

• P

  Rich and densely-textured. Soft as a fluffy cushion to begin with, then slowly grips hold of the tastebuds. Honey and fine-grained oak tannins are here, but the balance is provided by the mouthwatering fruit.

• F

  Impressive length (as the nun said to the plumber) with cake-spices (cinnamon, clove) and and cooked fruit leaving a lingering apple-pie flavour in the mouth.

• C

  Another extremely classy cognac from Paul Beau, who clearly know what they're about. Rich without being cloying - clean as a whistle.