Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Cognac

Rating: 16/23 Why did I buy another bottle of this? I didn't like it last time. I don't know; maybe I've gained more experience with brandy and have a higher regard for the funky things in life now. It was actually good to have it here this evening though because I was reviewing Pierre Ferrand Double Cask and Delamain Pale & Dry and all I had open were some brandies that were up toward the high end. The Delamain came kind of close to one of them, but I needed some better side by side options. So I was glad to have this around. N: Rich. Cherry to the point of sweetness bordering on syrup. Some spicy wood helps to balance it out. There's some funky, oily something going on too. It's a decently complex nose, but I do wish that the cherry were toned back a bit. I find the funk a bit challenging, but it has nothing on young Glenfarclas. I'd like a bit more maturity here to make this closer to old Glenfarclas, but I can't have everything in a $40 brandy. I'm enjoying the nose's complexity and hedonism. P: This is one of those Cognacs with rich cherry mixed with spicy (mainly cinnamon and pepper) wood and a decent amount of oil. Hedonism, but a bit much for those who can't take a sweet drink (a totally valid position). There's some vanilla coming out of the wood as well. It's tasty, but also kind of youthful. Pierre Ferrand Double Oak struck me as more youthful, but this doesn't have the maturity of something like Delamain Pale & Dry or A De Fussigny XO. This is kind of like Candy in comparison. And compared with the A De Fussigny, this is not super full. Throw Hennessy XO or Delord 25 in the mix and the illusion of fullness this has fails. F: The fruit becomes more bitter, but there is a bit of a lingering sweetness along with an oiliness that now seems a tad nutty, some kind of wood, and bits of spice and so forth. It's a totally acceptable finish, but not that exciting. - Conclusion - I definitely underrated this before. This is a good value brandy that I can easily sip. In my defense, that was over 2 years ago ... and I guess that's a long time? Compared with higher end options, there is no contest - this isn't at the level. Delord 25 also comes in with a substantial enough value proposition that I would consider just paying a bit more to get a better brandy. This is probably more approachable though. It's a great example of your typical moderately aged Cognac. Oddly, I think it's pretty much as good as Rémy Martin XO. This tastes like it could be an XO. It would probably just barely be making the cut, but it could be there. Rémy Martin XO really didn't impress me considering its price. With all of the side by siding I've been doing, I think I'm going to land on a 16 here. I would now recommend this brandy.

I've had horrible allergies for the past two weeks, and my palate is shot. I picked up a small boot flask of this stuff after seeing positive reviews and it not being ridiculously expensive. Seems like tonight is the night to try it. I don't know jack about Cognac apart from the basic info available here. I don't even know if you're supposed to drink it from a Glencairn, but hey, we play the hand we're dealt. Unsurprisingly, the nose is fruity. Think apple orchard meets candy shop. There's also a lovely buttercream note lying underneath. So far so good. Taste compliments the nose. It's reminiscent of an un-finished Speyside like the Singleton or a Lowland malt like Glenkinchie, but lacks the heft of either of those malts (I've got no other Cognac's to compare this too, so whisky it is...). It's quite pleasant, but a little one dimensional, and the finish is rather abrupt, as to be expected at 40% (though I'm guessing most drinkers of spirits don't indulge in the high proof drams we all enjoy, so forgive the snobbery). The longer I let it linger, I get some tannic notes from the French oak casks that reminds me of Compass Box Oak Cross or Spice Tree. The spice at the end is lovely and goes well with the fruit. A welcome diversion from whisky in light of a compromised palate. I didn't want to waste a GlenDronach or a Four Roses pour tonight on a busted nose, but this served as a nice change of pace. Always good to expand our palates and branch outside whisky once in a while. Helps us appreciate our favorite brown spirit even more. Cheers!

Before the 100th tasting, I'm trying to squeeze in a few more things that I've tasted in the recent years and decided to keep permanently in a home bar, as a sort of base camp before further exploration. The aroma is exquisite, with fig and plum evolving into stewed prune. A pinch of salt whets the palate, before a baked apple pie with cinnamon and clove is served with a side of very dry mead, riding a perfect amount of oak into the sunset. This is a "Summer-becoming-Autumn" drink. For the record, I do enjoy Hennessy VSOP as a "non-whiskey/liqueur", but this edges it out. Plus, it's slightly more pretentious than the already over-the-top Champagne bottle that Remy Martin comes in, with an acceptable quality/cost ratio, and I am here for it. I will probably keep Courvoisier around too, exclusively for mixing with Benedictine, but this one is for sipping. ...HOLY SHIT, IT'S $61 NOW?! *monocle falls into snifter*

Revisiting a long-open bottle. An absolutely stunning rich mahogany in the glass, but unfortunately no extra weight at only 40%. Butterscotch and dark amarena cherry nose. Black walnut. A crisp, piney menthol gives the nostrils a firm tickle. The palate starts gently sweet then turns decidedly dry. Dark chocolate caramels and macerated prune. Astringent wood dominates the later palate with prominent barrel influence - charred oak and vanillas mingle with some gentian and bitter orange. The dryness lingers through a moderate finish. Packed with bombastic flavor and quite enjoyable to explore. At the end of the day, I think the barrel notes are a bit heavy-handed and some elegance is lost, but it’s gorgeous, intriguing, and affordable, and certainly more than adequate for a brooding evening in your study.

Very beautiful on nose with aromas of toffee, caramel, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, candy.. mellow and yummy feeling when smell it. In mouth, a little contrast feeling to nose since it's medium to full body with notes of prune, plum, oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, pepper and spice.. a little more spice at first but better by time (but still has more spice than my preference). Wait for a while and it got more mellow and smooth, spice was softer but still able to feel, with moderate length aftertaste with notes of toffee and dark chocolate. For the bottle with no box, the bottle itself isn't so nice to me, and the price is around $110.. If I want to wow my friends, I'll pick this one, but if I want to drink alone for hours, I might pick Camus Borderies VSOP instead, but that's just my humble opinion.

A far superior offering from Remy Martin, this one is leaps and bounds better than Remy Martin VSOP. The price is a bit high though, but as a sipping cognac this one is a solid choice and readily available. The nose has vanilla and dried fruit notes. The palate is pretty sweet, with apricot and oak, but not overwhelmingly so like the VSOP. The finish does have a touch of burn, but it has solid length and pepper notes to close. Is this worth the price? I would say it depends on if you are planning to use this primarily as a cocktail ingredient. If so, then you may want to try cheaper options like Hine H VSOP and the Pierre Ferrand lines, but if you want something for everyday drinking, this would be a solid option.