Martell Cordon Bleu Intense Heat Cask Finish Limited Edition Extra Old Cognac

Product of: France

See more X.O. & Hors d'âge Cognacs

View 487 cocktails with Cognac (brandy)

View product website

This “Intense Heat Cask Finish” limited edition Cordon Bleu bottling was released in November 2016. As with regular Cordon Bleu it is blended from over a hundred extra old eau-de-vie but is finished in casks that have been heavily charred – intensely heated if you will.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 17/10/2016

Appearance:

Clear, deep bronze amber with burnished copper glints.

Aroma:

Crème brûlée, vanilla, mocha coffee and blackened fruitcake with plump dates, parma violet and faint clove.

Taste:

Nutty and spicy. Mocha coffee, vanilla fudge, roasted almond, brazil nut, cinnamon spice and burnt fruitcake.

Aftertaste:

Long finish with lingering roasted nuts and mild cinnamon spice.

Overall:

More robust and nuttier than the regular Cordon Bleu bottling, Intense Heat will particularly appeal to cigar smokers as well as armagnac drinkers. For the avoidance of possible confusion, the “Intense Heat” name refers to the extra char a prolonged toasting period gives the casks this cognac is finished in, rather than implying it is especially spicy.