Coldorak

Domaine de Charron 1996 2008 Swell de Spirits Bas-Armagnac

Domain de Charron 1996 & 2008 Swell de Spirits

22nd November 202422nd November 2024Coldorak

Although Domaine de Charron traces its origins back to the early 20th century, its journey into Armagnac production truly began decades later. In 1985, Fernand Lartigue considered uprooting the vines on his grandmother’s plot in Perquie. However, his sons, Claude and Jacques, stepped in to acquire the 2-hectare vineyard, preserving the Baco vines and reviving Armagnac production. The vineyard’s care was entrusted to a neighboring winemaker, whose expertise ensured the creation of high-quality, natural wines from the start.

Thanks to our friends at Swell de Spirits, I’ve received samples of two Domaine de Charron Armagnacs as part of a box featuring malternatives and spirits. Let’s dive into these two releases, Domaine de Charron 1996 and 2008, bottled by Swell de Spirits.

Jean-Luc Pasquet Lot L.70 'Le Cognac d'Arlette' Petite Champagne Cognac

Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet Lot L.70 Petite Champagne

15th November 202415th November 2024Coldorak

Domaine Jean-Luc Pasquet is both a producer of Cognac and a bottler of cognacs crafted by small-scale winemakers. The estate is managed by Jean and Amy Pasquet, the son and daughter-in-law of founder Jean-Luc Pasquet. On one hand, they produce an organic range of cognacs, with organic practices dating back to 1998. On the other, they consider themselves “treasure hunters,” seeking out hidden gems from small winemakers’ cellars and independent distillers. It’s this latter role that brings JLP to More Drams today, as I review their latest find, the Jean-Luc Pasquet Lot L.70 ‘Le Cognac d’Arlette’ Petite Champagne Cognac, bottled in their ‘Trésors de Famille’ range.

Bimber Shoulders of Giants Second Release

8th November 20248th November 2024Coldorak

Bimber returns with a second round of releases in its ‘Shoulders of Giants’ series. Eight new ‘Giants’ have been introduced, joining the original six from the first batch, along with fresh country exclusives – this time with Germany and Belgium joining the UK and Poland. With samples from all eight of these new expressions kindly sent by Bimber a few weeks ago, let’s dive into a review of this Bimber Shoulders of Giants Second Release.

Teeling 21-Year-Old Rising Reserve No.3

19th October 202419th October 2024Coldorak

For a change, we’re reviewing a whiskey that’s actually still available and not already sold out, long gone, or marked up threefold on the secondary market. Hard to believe, right? Recently, I was working as an exhibitor for a Scottish independent bottler at the Nantes Spirits Festival, a whisky show. It has nothing to do with this Teeling, I know, but one of the perks of being an exhibitor is the chance to sample a few whiskies and malternatives before or after the event opens to the public—or even during a quick break. Who needs food when you can savour some good or even exceptional whiskies and cognacs, right? Anyway, while I was pouring my own whiskies for Baptiste Charron, the French Teeling ambassador, we got talking, and he introduced me to the Teeling 21-year-old Rising Reserve No.3, which I’m reviewing today. I was lucky enough to take a sample home with me to taste it again, with time and a fresh palate. But first…

Bimber Shoulders of Giants

22nd September 202412th November 2024Coldorak

Bimber recently introduced* a new series, ‘Shoulder of Giants’, a tribute to the thinkers, innovators, and visionaries who have shaped history. While the connection to whisky may not be immediately obvious, perhaps these celebrated figures were whisky enthusiasts – though, in the case of Nicolaus Copernicus, who passed away in 1543 in Poland, it’s unlikely he ever had the chance to enjoy a dram! Regardless, this theme is as fitting as many others embraced by distilleries, and the labels are nothing short of stunning. Thanks to Bimber Distillery, we didn’t just have the last Spirit of the Underground batch, we also have all six expressions from the ‘Shoulder of Giants’ series in front of us – three exclusive to the UK and three to Poland. Let’s dive in and explore what each of these whiskies has to offer.

Bimber The Spirit of the Underground – Release No. 6

13th July 20242nd August 2024Coldorak

Back in 2021, Bimber started its then-new collection, The Spirit of the Underground, celebrating many stations from the London Underground passenger railway system, the Tube. We could review the first batch of four stations in June 2021, thanks to a Tweet Tasting with Steve Rush and Matt McKay. Fast forward three years and they’ve already released their 6th batch of four expressions, that we’re trying today. The ballot for those bottles is long closed and these are all sold out, but you might be tempted to get one on the secondary market as I’m sure several of them will pop in one of the several whisky auctions you already probably know of. So maybe this review will help you choose which one to go to with my tasting notes. But remember this is my humble opinion so your taste might be different, your nose and palate may get different notes that what I recognised. So to help, I’ll also link at the end of the review a link to friends’ blogs, who also reviewed these four whiskies. But without further ado, let’s review those four Bimber The Spirit of the Underground, from their sixth release.

Old Pulteney 12, 15, Flotilla and more

6th July 20246th July 2024Coldorak

Pulteney distillery, known for its whisky labelled Old Pulteney, was once the northernmost whisky distillery on mainland Scotland. However, this title was later taken by Wolfburn and then 8 Doors distillery. The northernmost whisky distillery in Scotland overall is Highland Park. In 1825, James Henderson, who had been distilling illegally in Stemster, moved to Pulteneytown to establish a legitimate whisky distillery. The Henderson family owned it for almost a century until selling it to Jas. Watson of Dundee in 1920. In 1922, Wick town council banned alcohol sales under the influence of an American evangelist, and by 1924, Old Pulteney was sold to John Dewar & Sons, eventually becoming part of DCL. The distillery closed in 1930 due to a market downturn and reopened in 1951, four years after the ban was lifted, when local businessman Robert ‘Bertie’ Cumming bought it. He sold it, along with Balblair, to Hiram Walker in 1955. Following a series of mergers, it became part of Allied Distillers, who sold it to Inver House in 1995 when it was in desperate need of repairs. In 2001, Pacific Spirits acquired Inver House, which was later purchased by Thailand’s International Beverage Holding in 2006. Today, we will sample several Old Pulteney whiskies from the core range, including the 12- and 15-year-old expressions, the 2012 Flotilla, a 2006 Vintage released for Global Travel Retail, and an independent bottling: a 2008 single cask bottled by Daily Dram.

Salamandre Plum & Pear Brandies Swell de Spirits

24th May 202424th May 2024Coldorak

These fruit-based eaux-de-vie, whilst less prevalent than grape-based brandies, were once popular but have since fallen out of favour. It’s unfortunate as they offer unique and flavourful spirits. In France, fruit eaux-de-vie represented only 0.3% of the total alcohol value in large retailers and a mere 0.2% in the trade network (bars, hotels, and restaurants) in 2022, with these numbers declining compared to previous years. Three to four decades ago, a 70 cl bottle of fruit brandy was primarily consumed directly after meals, but today, it’s more commonly used in gastronomy, accounting for 70% of its consumption, while direct tasting comprises the remaining 30%. There has been a significant decline in fruit brandy consumption during the 1990s and the 2010s, a product once associated with our great-grandparents. The rise of whisky in the market has shifted preferences and emphasised a desire to explore alternative spirits. This change reflects a generational shift. Nevertheless, there are still distilleries producing these fruit brandies. We will be tasting a plum brandy and a pear brandy from the Salamandre distillery, both bottled by Swell de Spirits, from which we recently reviewed two whiskies.

Glen Garioch 2015 and Secret Islay 2017 Swell de Spirits

21st May 202422nd May 2024Coldorak

A few weeks ago, we received a few samples from the French independent bottler Swell de Spirits, including a few whiskies. Today we try two of them: a Glen Garioch 2015 and a Secret Islay from a south shore distillery known for its eccentric marketing team and its yearly non-age-statement releases…

Old Blends Going Back To Before 1939

6th May 20246th May 2024Coldorak

After an unplanned hiatus lasting a few weeks due to personal circumstances, it’s time to dive back into the world of whisky. Blends have always been an integral part of the Scotch whisky tradition, particularly in earlier decades when the concept of single malts may not have even crossed minds. Today, we’ll be reviewing several old Scotch whisky blends, ranging from the 1980s to one whose components were distilled before 1939.

More drams, less drama

Author: Coldorak