A half bottle of Remy Martin's XO Excellence. A blend of 85% Grande Champagne and 15% Petite Champagne cognacs, this is delicious and visually extremely impressive.
Nose: Sultanas, vanilla extract, almost-ripe grapes, sponge cake and a hint of rich Pedro Ximénez sherry.
Palate: Rich and spicy, with cinnamon and cloves. It also has some drying tannins, which tingle along the sides of the tongue, and some cooling menthol notes.
Finish: Rich, woody and lingering.