HINE Rare Fine Champagne Cognac

Hine Rare VSOP is a more premium offering from Hine, but I dont think it's worth nearly twice as much as the plain old Hine H. I would go as far as to say the Hine H is nearly its equal neat. On the nose I get stone fruit, which continues on the palate, along with some vanilla, spice and orange peel. The finish has decent length with some oak and a bit of burn. I was hoping for a more elegant sipping cognac but it feels only like a slight upgrade over the Hine H. It's not bad and I may be being a bit too harsh but I had much higher expectations for the price.

A delicate blend of Grande & Petite Champagnes (60% is the former). This is what's known as a Fine Champagne. The cognac is aged from between 6 & 12 years, with most being around 8 years old. It was first blended by the eponymous Thomas Hine. It opens with notes of caramel, jasmine, oak & strong hints of vanilla; the palate has notes of dried fruit, fresh cream & toffee, full-bodied & as smooth as it gets; while the finish is long, smooth, dry, with notes of oak, smoky, ginger ale, barley & a hint of nutmeg. September 2017

Cognac by the book!! I like its bottle for this price, that's just before I've tried it.. Smell was nice, not too much nor too thin, with fruit notes like apricot and dried fruits. In mouth, got chocolate, little wood note, spice, and only moderate length aftertaste. A little dry with fruity aromas. Not wow, but nice cognac by the book. Considering the price, along with its taste and bottle, it's worth it!!

Complex spiced apples and fruit After resting 10 min and warming Nose: decadent, complex, and strong aromas of raisin, apple, caramel, baking spices, apple, brown sugar, clove, peach, leather, black tea, cocoa The taste: grape raisin and brown sugar on the start followed by spice, caramel, tea, some astringency and ending on a moderately long finish of spiced apples and raisin.

On the nose, dried fruits (particularly apricot and raisins), orange peels, caramel, and oak combine with a hint of vanilla and melon. These continue into the palette, with the oaky, caramel flavours pushing to the forefront alongside pleasing, long tannins and bright fruit. The finish, to me, brings slight hints of tobacco, but mostly consists of bright fruit and melon.

Rich nose with notes of pear, cinnamon, cocoa powder, marlmalade, and vanilla, sweet yet elegant and refined. Palate is sweet with a ncie light acidity, very smooth and well-balanced. Palate exudes rich fruit and oaky tones, with a medium finish carrying notes of perfumed fruit, plum, toffee, and a slight oak bitterness. Very enjoyable cognac.