Reviews Archives

Two Coleburn Signatory Vintage for Christmas

26th December 202525th December 2025Coldorak

On special days, I like to reach for something special, so I chose two Coleburn whiskies from Signatory Vintage for Christmas. After a lengthy cognac session from the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar, I return to whisky. Coleburn has tempted me for ages, especially since my 2019 visit to Murray McDavid at Spirit of Speyside – where they lease the distillery’s warehouses for cask storage, though workers dismantled the site long ago. Sourcing Coleburn proved tough, yet I snagged two samples in days. As always, I’ll start with the distillery history before diving into these festive Signatory pours.

ABK6 Extra Cognac

24th December 202523rd December 2025Administrator

Day 23 of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar features ABK6 Extra, a single-estate cognac from Domaines Francis Abécassis. The producer farms over 370 hectares across Fins Bois, Petite Champagne, and Grande Champagne crus. We’ll introduce ABK6 before reviewing their ABK6 Extra cognac!

Authentic Spirits Les Grandes Jouberteries

Les Grandes Jouberteries Lot 65 Authentic Spirits

23rd December 202523rd December 2025Coldorak

Day 22 of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar brings an independent bottling: Les Grandes Jouberteries Lot 65 from Authentic Spirits. A few months ago, this bottler impressed us with an excellent La Prenellerie cognac, but Les Grandes Jouberteries steps onto our radar for the first time today. As always, new names deserve a proper introduction before the review, so let’s get to know Les Grandes Jouberteries first.

Grosperrin Très Vieille Héritage

22nd December 202522nd December 2025Coldorak

We close the third week of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar with a 50-year-old Grosperrin Très Vieille Héritage cognac. We love tasting another Grosperrin – we always visit them at spirits shows, and even stopped by their Saintes cellars in February this year.

Jean Fillioux Lot 80/85 Cognac

20th December 202519th December 2025Coldorak

We continue our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar adventure with a Jean Fillioux Lot 80/85 Cognac, which was hidden in the nineteenth pouch. This cognac, yet to be released, is a multi-vintage Grande Champagne. Let’s introduce Jean Fillioux cognac before reviewing this incoming release.

La Récession 42-Year-Old Cognac

19th December 202518th December 2025Coldorak

Time to open the 18th pouch of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar! Today (well, technically yesterday, since I publish the next morning to avoid spoiling other calendar owners), we discovered a La Récession 42-year-old Cognac. Cognac-Expert created La Récession as a brand to release a handful of sourced cognacs from négociants, bottled exclusively for them. Who from, you ask? Well, you might learn more after the break.

A.E. Dor Vieille Réserve No. 8

18th December 202517th December 2025Coldorak

Day 17 of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar brought an A.E. Dor Vieille Réserve No. 8 Cognac. A.E. Dor has sat on my must‑try list for quite some time, so finding it in this year’s calendar feels like a small victory. One sample won’t ever tell the full story of a cognac house, but every exploration starts with a first glass. As usual, let’s say a few words about A.E. Dor before diving into their Vieille Réserve No. 8 Cognac.

Michel Forgeron Barrique 92 Cognac

17th December 202516th December 2025Coldorak

And… just like that, we’re already two thirds of the way through the 2025 Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar, and today’s dram is a Michel Forgeron Barrique 92 Cognac. Before diving into the glass, let’s have a few words on who stands behind this bottling. Then we’ll take a closer look at their Barrique 92 Grande Champagne cognac.

Louis Royer Extra Cognac

16th December 202515th December 2025Coldorak

We continue the second half of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar with a Louis Royer Extra cognac, allowing us to discover yet another new name (new for us!) in these pages. As usual when we add a new brand or producer here, let’s talk about its history first, before reviewing their cognac.

Famille Cabanne Fins Bois Lot 89

15th December 202514th December 2025Coldorak

The fourteenth pouch of our Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar brings back a cherished name: Famille Cabanne, this time with a Fins Bois Lot 89. Last years calendar still lingers in memory thanks to Richard Delisle Lot 53 – Famille Cabanne in disguise – which delivered an absolutely stunning experience. Their Lot 24 Grande Champagne, a 100-year-old marvel, impressed even more and left us speechless until it came time to put the glass content into words. Now a new Fins Bois from the same family steps up, and expectations run very high for this Lot 89.