Again, it seems Wu Dram is forever. Or at least for 53 years now.

I’ve never had much Cognac before. I tried some Armagnacs and my father-in-law had me try some Cognac in the past, but I never got into it.

I generally find it too weak, too focused on smoothness, and because of it being blended most of the time, not having enough variety.

Then comes this stuff. A single cask, from a single house, at cask strength. Consider my interest peaked! I tried bottle-sharing this in my little Facebook group, but I didn’t get enough people enthused to warrant buying a bottle. As you might expect, this isn’t exactly bottom shelf pricing we’re talking about.

Still, compared to whisky, this stuff is almost free. A 53 year old single cask beverage below € 300 is a steal in the world of whisky.

Sniff:
Lots of wood. Both old woody notes, but some hints of fresh oak are still present. Ground bitter almonds and almond paste. Slightly sharper than I expected of something at 47%, but not harsh at all. Blue grapes and some cedar.

Sip:
The palate is also rather intense. Warming with lots of oak. Dry, fruity with grapes and sour cherries. Some hints of bitterness with twigs and almonds.

Swallow:
Again, sour cherries but I also get raspberries and blue grapes. Again there are nutty notes with mostly bitter almonds and almond paste.

Well, I think I should have bought a bottle when it came out after all. This stuff is truly stellar. There is a lot going on without ever feeling out of balance or strange. It’s consistent but consistently great with a lot of interesting flavors. Especially the almonds and sour cherries (which I happen to like a lot) are great.

I tried this with my father-in-law, a benefit of getting a 5cl sample is the ability to share. He also loved it and wrote the tasting notes with me. He didn’t get the sour cherries though.

91/100

Vallein Terciner 53 years old, 1967-2020, 47%, bottled by Wu Dram Clan. Still available through some creative buying from Whiskytempel in Germany, at little under € 350.