Coldorak's whisky blog.
After the recently reviewed Vallein Tercinier bottled by Malternative Belgium, we compare two Fins Bois cognacs from this well-known merchant. We’ll review an official single cask against one selected by Cognac Sponge, the cognac branch of Whisky Sponge and Decadent Drinks. Specifically, we’ll review the Vallein Tercinier Lot 96 and N.88 Cognac Sponge, both single casks from the Fins Bois cru.
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Malternative Belgium is a company founded by Pieter Knapen and Ysatis Thijs, dedicated to cognac. Established in 2020 as an independent bottler, Malternative Belgium combines passion and time to select and bottle cognacs. The company operates both an online business and an ‘experience store’ in Hasselt, where visitors can taste and learn about cognac in a cosy environment. The journey of Malternative Belgium began in 2009 with an interest in spirits, leading to their involvement as distributors for a reputable cognac brand in 2016. However, their vision extended beyond mere distribution; they aimed to share the rich stories and experiences that cognac offers. Through their network of small, family-owned producers in the cognac region, they source high-quality spirits (Cognacs first, but also now Calvados) under their brand. We review today three ‘old’ cognacs from Malternative Belgium, but we’ll review more recent ones in the coming weeks.
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We’ve reached the fifteenth pouch in the Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar, and today it’s the Vallein Tercinier Liaison Intime. I’ve been especially excited for this one, and for a rather whisky-related reason. A few years ago, whilst working with Dingle Distillery and assisting Graham and Fay Coull at Whisky Live Paris, I had the chance to introduce Graham to some cognacs during a break. Naturally, I brought him to the Vallein Tercinier booth.
We tasted their full lineup, and Graham was so impressed that I introduced him to the Vallein Tercinier family. This led to the acquisition of several cognac casks to mature or finish some Dingle whiskey. Over the next two editions of Whisky Live Paris, the Vallein Tercinier team stopped by to sample the Dingle whiskey finished in their casks – and they loved it! But enough about my story – let’s dive into Vallein Tercinier and take a closer look at their Liaison Intime Cognac.
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