Cognac Review: Cognac Park Cigar Blend XO Vielle Fine Champagne

During our first week of the WSET Spirits level 1 course we were given the assignment to try Cognac and vodka. Instead of us going out to purchase a bottle we took out a sample from a Flaviar tasting box that I received some time back but hadn't yet tried. It was the Park Cigar Blend XO Ville Fine Champagne. With it having the XO designation it was aged for a minimum of 10 years before it was bottled and released to the public. Although 10 years is the minimum age to get the XO designation, Park has aged it for 12 years in new oak barrels and then transferred it to limousin oak casks to age it for an additional 18 years. This was made to have a robustness that is perfect for being enjoyed while smoking cigars. Cognac Park uses 70% Champagne eaux-de-vie and 30% Petite Champagne to create the mash that is used to make the Cognac. We intend to explore what Champagne eaux-de-vie and Petite Champagne mean at a later date.

When poured into the glass we were presented with a dark amber color that was consistent throughout the pour. When the glass was tilted it had a nice defined ridge where it touched and slowly dripped back down to the bottom of the glass.

The nose had a light to medium aroma with hints of sweetness, a white grape varietal, oak, caramel, bread or pastry, pear, and then deep down had a chocolate bit to it. This is the result of how they process the raw materials along with the aging/maturation of the distillate.

The palate produced a short to medium finish with some complexity. It was almost a complete surprise at how good Park was however, we did not know what exactly we were expecting with this was the first Cognac that we tasted outside of Hennessy. As we slowly sipped on it there were notes of tobacco, ash, vanilla, allspice, leather, and some raisin. It did have an initial sweetness accompanied by a warming feeling that coated the tongue and throat.

Overall this was a wonderful entrance into the Cognac world for us. All of them won't be as good as this one or some may even be better. We will be on the hunt for this bottle in our local stores to add to our home bar. If you are looking for a special Cognac to buy for yourself or as a gift to someone Park Cigar Blend is highly recommended!