Jouw laatste Cognac aankoop?

[Roland]

Navarre Souvenir Impérial 40% abv. The key 5% lower than the other one.

This one will be opened for the New Year’s Day. I hope the abv reduction came from a blend of much older lower abv components, and not completely by addition of water.

Anecdote: (if I remember the dates correctly)
I was aware that Jacky had a new cognac.
When I visited him in March 2018, I received the answer that the cognac was not "ready" yet. He still needed 3 months.

Next visit : June 2018 I received the answer:
Not ready yet. A marriage takes time. What difference does a few months make with a 50 year old cognac?

In September 2018 I bought the very first bottle.

It's a blend :
10% : 1958-1959
50% : 1965
40% : 1970-1975

At our last visit, i had the impression that the Souvenir Imperial was better than the first bottle.

[Fuzhou]

Navarre Souvenir Impérial 40% abv. The key 5% lower than the other one.

This one will be opened for the New Year’s Day. I hope the abv reduction came from a blend of much older lower abv components, and not completely by addition of water.

The owner of the liquor store I bought mine from in september told me that the cognacs of Jacky Navarre are unsweetened, with no caramel and no boisé. He also does not reduce his cognacs with water.
His motto is: "let nature do most of the work and the rest will come".

Let´s hope it´s true, but than I doubt that is exactly 40% because Navarre used the same label as the previous batch.

The Imperial is 40%. Vielles Reserve is 45%. But it’s quite amazing if he can get it just right at that level without reducing. But somehow the math doesn’t add up for a 50 year old cognac to come to 40% cask strength under normal conditions. The angels must have taken more than 6% a year from him

[Fuzhou]

Navarre Souvenir Impérial 40% abv. The key 5% lower than the other one.

This one will be opened for the New Year’s Day. I hope the abv reduction came from a blend of much older lower abv components, and not completely by addition of water.

Anecdote: (if I remember the dates correctly)
I was aware that Jacky had a new cognac.
When I visited him in March 2018, I received the answer that the cognac was not "ready" yet. He still needed 3 months.

Next visit : June 2018 I received the answer:
Not ready yet. A marriage takes time. What difference does a few months make with a 50 year old cognac?

In September 2018 I bought the very first bottle.

It's a blend :
10% : 1958-1959
50% : 1965
40% : 1970-1975

At our last visit, i had the impression that the Souvenir Imperial was better than the first bottle.

Wow. He is meticulous. Maybe that explains why he can get it so precise. Perhaps he’s letting cask strength of really old (under 40%) juices to balance out the abv, bringing it down to 40.

[EelcoA]

I can tell you Fuzhou, the SI absolutely does not suffer from the lower ABV. It is certainly not toned down, even heavier on the tropical fruits than the VR imho. This will be a treat for sure (and a great start for 2024). If all your cognacs in 2024 present such quality and tastiness, it will be a very good year!!!!

[Fuzhou]

However I just did a quick math. The 1958 today could reach 40% cask strength, but if the 1970s accounts for 40% of the bottle, then the equation still seems a littler off.

[Fuzhou]

I can tell you Fuzhou, the SI absolutely does not suffer from the lower ABV. It is certainly not toned down, even heavier on the tropical fruits than the VR imho. This will be a treat for sure (and a great start for 2024). If all your cognacs in 2024 present such quality and tastiness, it will be a very good year!!!!

I’ve heard many great things about Navarre, and am also a fan of the Vielles Reserve. I will find out about the SL in a couple of days. Let’s hope we all get to drink good cognacs for the coming year. Cheers!

[Roland]

Difficult to calculate.

The Cravache d'Or = 45%
Blend : 1995 - 1996

Vieille Réserve = 45%
10% = 1965
40% = 1970-1975
50% = 1978-1979

I think that this is your answer.


Every "cellar" is different.
Dry cellar: a lot of volume disappears, little alcohol
Damp cellar: a lot of alcohol disappears, little volume.

Navarre is close to the Charente-river

Kind regards,
RolanD

[Fuzhou]

Difficult to calculate.

The Cravache d'Or = 45%
Blend : 1995 - 1996

Vieille Réserve = 45%
10% = 1965
40% = 1970-1975
50% = 1978-1979

I think that this is your answer.


Every "cellar" is different.
Dry cellar: a lot of volume disappears, little alcohol
Damp cellar: a lot of alcohol disappears, little volume.

Navarre is close to the Charente-river

Navarre.jpg

Kind regards,
RolanD

Thanks for the knowledge Roland. In that case, this bottle is a super value. Looking forward to New Year’s Eve

[Rik]

Vermoedelijk mijn laatste aankoop van dit jaar :
- Jean Fillioux Millésime 1994, 324 bts, 46%
Gebotteld op 28/11/2023 voor "Specialists in The Netherlands".
Al iemand gedronken...?

[Fuzhou]

I can tell you Fuzhou, the SI absolutely does not suffer from the lower ABV. It is certainly not toned down, even heavier on the tropical fruits than the VR imho. This will be a treat for sure (and a great start for 2024). If all your cognacs in 2024 present such quality and tastiness, it will be a very good year!!!!

Navarre Souvenir Imperial 40% abv.

You are spot on about this bottle not suffering from low abv. It’s an amazing feat to offer such a bottle at this price. Now we just need to keep it a secret, because I don’t think they made enough of it for everyone 50 years ago.

There is no arguing with the nose and the tongue. Tasting is convincing.

Somehow Navarre managed to pull it off with this low abv bottle. That’s his magic. Without the arsenal of reserves in inventory that Remy Martin has for the Louis XIII. For Navarre to do something as remarkable as they have at their size is nothing short of amazing.

This is going on my favorite list.