St. Rémy XO

Fresh from the bottle there is some acetone on the nose, along with the ethanol. After a few minutes of swirling a rich nose of figs, raisins, cherries and butterscotch well up. There is still the trace of ethanol and a slightly sharp edge on the nose. Taste is sweet, not complex, and biased towards figs with a bit of black coffee on the gentle fade. Just a few simple flavor notes. Really not a bad drink at all and could be very mixable in a number of cocktails. Maybe even in a highball? Worth checking out... I wouldn't have this in a snifter after dinner, but I'd sip it from a flask on the golf course during the cold months! I like it. But I don't love it, and probably wouldn't buy another bottle. That said, at a price under $20 this is a very good value. This could be useful the kitchen and as a mixer in any number of applications. I'd like to use this to fortify a home made sangria for the holidays!

Nose: When I first smelled it, I noticed a lot of dried fruits like raisins, figs, and dates. There was also a bit of a fresh, minty smell, kind of like eucalyptus, and a hint of orange. It ended with a mild touch of baking spices. Palate: Tasting it was a sweet experience. The dried fruits, especially prunes and raisins, stood out. There was a bit of oak, which made it smooth. The texture was thinner than I expected, not as rich as a cognac, but still pretty flavorful. Finish: The finish was short. It started sweet but then had a slight licorice or anise bitterness. There was a bit of spice and warmth as it went down. I wish the finish lasted longer. Overall: For the price, this brandy is really nice. It’s very flavorful and a good choice if you want something sweet and mild. Even though the finish is short, the rich flavors make it enjoyable.

If you suddenly change from wiskey to this you will find it very friendly and very sugary in the first 10 seconds. After that it is just sickly sweet that you don't want to continue anymore. There is not much complicity in this one unlike XO.

Fair bit of ethanol on the nose, plus some oak, lemon, vanilla, and nutmeg. Light mouthfeel. Palate shows notes of grape jelly and cinnamon, plus more lemon, oak, and vanilla. Finish is medium-length. 2.50/5.00 – Acceptable (neat)

Clear copper appearance, with spaced alcohol legs. Nose- spice, such as cinnamon, and distilled grape. Flavor- sweetness, cinnamon spice, grape skin, caramel, vanilla, and dates. Medium body. Moderate drop off. RJT

Sweet alcohol nose. Mild caramel flavor that is overwhelmed by the alcohol notes. Vanilla ethanol finish with hints of sweetness.