1966 Majeste Cognac Review
Distiller: Majesté (France, company based in San Francisco)
Type: 45 Year Cognac
Notes: Creme Brulee, Butter, Milk Chocolate, The soft love of Kate Upton
Price: Not sure - had to have it brought from Hong Kong and that price isn't worth stating (less than you think)
Bad Wine Reviews Ranking: 4.2 / 5
Awwwww, mannn it's time to talk about some Cognac! What is Cognac? Cognac is a type of brandy that is distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac, as you can probably tell, is an extremely regulated and controlled spirit overseen by the Bureau National Interprofessional du Cognac (BNIC).
There are four grades of Cognac - V.S. (2 years in a cask), V.S.O.P. (4 years in a cask), XO (moved from 6 years to 10 years in April 2018) and Hors d'âge (marketed for higher end and older products but can be equal to an XO in age). We'll talk about the regions some other time.
How did I find this you ask? Well my good friends that own Memorial Fine Wines and Spirits hooked me up with a bottle of the XO and I was smitten. For the money I don't think there is a better XO out there but I'm incredibly biased, short sighted and opinionated. Anyway, I did some stalking and contacted the brand owners to find out they contract out this love nectar to various families across Cognac. I stalked further to find out if they had any vintage cognac and lo and behold here it be - a 45 year old Cognac (bottled in 2011).
This Cognac is incredible. When you drink something this important please do it some justice and serve it in a Cognac glass similar to what is pictured above. Let it warm a bit by use of candle warmer or cupping it with your man hands and enjoy with an aged cigar and some dark chocolate. Before I get into the notes I want to give a warning - if you live in a humid ass climate like the Southeast United States DO NOT take it outside and let it sit for a long time. The age and dryness of these Cognacs will suck the moisture right out of the air will turn that bitch to vinegar. It happened to me with a glass of Louis XIII and I still have PTSD. As for the tasting notes - my god, it is incredible. The nose fills up all them sinuses with creme brûlée. The palate is stabbed to death with butter and milk chocolate as the finish stays around for a solid 5-7 minutes.
Enjoy this drink slow and appreciate the fact that in 1966 this product was being distilled in France. With any aged spirit you should appreciate what it is you're drinking - art. While this particular bottle will be very hard to find (read not impossible) you should seize the opportunity to drink it given the chance. If you want to give this brand a try go grab the Majeste XO - an instant classic.