Review: Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac
While we’ve regularly covered Martell‘s various special edition Cognacs, we’ve never taken a stroll with Cordon Bleu, which sits just below Martell XO on the quality and price band. It’s made with a high proportion of Borderies eaux de vie, but otherwise Martell doesn’t offer a whole lot of information about the product.
We won’t let that stop us.
Martell often produces very soft, gentle brandies, and Cordon Bleu is no exception. While the color is cola-dark, the nose is barely there — a gossamer collection of spring florals, jasmine, and a light touch of maple. Spice-driven elements emerge with a little time in glass, finally reflecting some of the more intense Borderies fruit, raisin and cherry notes growing more insistent with time in glass.
Again, the palate starts off soft and quiet, like Björk sitting in the corner perhaps. First sips are sweet, informed by sweet black tea, a hint of cola, and a light touch of golden raisins. Give the brandy some time to develop, and eventually its more insistent notes become clearer, percolating up a bit of citrus, toasted coconut, and golden syrup for sweetness. A maple note starts to come into focus with more time, culminating in a finish that is sweeter than expected, with lengthy, spicy, and sunny effusiveness.
Before you know it, you’re three glasses in, and that’s a dangerous calculus with a Cognac like Cordon Bleu. While I’d love for this brandy to wear its character more on its sleeve and stop playing coy, I can categorically appreciate the journey it takes you on.
A- / $220 / martell.com [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Martell Cordon Bleu Cognac
$220
