Courvoisier VS Cognac

Purchased a small 200ml bottle for around 12 euros, not a fantastic value, but I wanted to sample houses without spending too much on a VS. Drank neat from a smaller cognac glass at ambient temperature. The color is golden with an orange tint, showing short to medium-short legs. Smell - Primarily alcohol, wood, and oak spice, with underlying sweetness, milk chocolate, and fruit (grapes, plums, oranges, apricots), plus honey and vanilla. Taste - Starts very oily and fruity, echoing the aromas mentioned, especially plums, with pleasant milk chocolate sweetness. However, the finish becomes quite spicy with sharp, unrefined oak and wood notes, detracting from the overall experience. It mellows and smooths out slightly after some air or palate adjustment to the spice. End - Medium-short to medium length, featuring oak, a touch of bitterness, and dried fruit like raisins and dates, along with plums. The bitterness intensifies in the aftertaste but adds pleasant complexity. I wouldn't frequently enjoy this cognac neat due to the harshness in the mid-back palate. It's decent and pleasant, but for this price point, I'd lean towards a whiskey for its greater refinement. With some oxidation, the fruitiness became more pronounced, and the sharp spice lessened, making it a very enjoyable cognac for the cost.

Nose: Chocolate, raisin, nutty nougat, caramelized apple, grape juice, butterscotch, honeysuckle, subtle oak, moderate alcohol sting. Taste: Raisin, chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, thick grape juice, praline, sweet cream, chili pepper, noticeable barrel spice, moderate to high alcohol bite. The finish is fairly quick with butterscotch, raisin, and sharp barrel spice. This is both more intense and, in my view, more pleasantly complex than Hennessy VS. It's not premium, but I find it quite drinkable and enjoy it a bit more than Henny.

Nose: Blueberry syrup, Caramel, Apricot, Canned pear syrup. Palate: Light fruitiness, mostly the apricot and pear. Offputting bitterness that eventually turns into a tannin-like aftertaste. I'm not experienced with brandy, so take this with a grain of salt. I'm not very impressed. It smells young and tastes artificial. Not complex. I wouldn't refuse a free glass, and it's just interesting enough to make me curious about brandy, but for $30 I'll buy a bottle of Bushmills Black Bush and have $3 left over.

It's been enjoyable finishing up bottles from my collection (proving I drink more than just whiskey!). While Courvoisier might be associated with hip-hop culture, cognac can be appreciated by serious spirit enthusiasts, including whiskey or rum fans. The VS is fairly ordinary, but the dried fruit/raisin taste and honey-caramel finish are quite pleasing. It's much better served on ice, as this version has some warmth. It lacks depth and complexity, but sometimes straightforwardness is sufficient. Scored 5.5/10.

Nose: Tart green apple, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, barrel spice, paprika, cinnamon-sugar oak, fresh bread, dried fruits (raisins, prunes, dates, apricots), wood spice. Palate: Dried fruits (raisins, prunes, dates, apricots), mulling spices, oakiness, a hint of ripe pear, coffee liqueur, aged white grapes, brown sugar. Finish: Tart dried fruit, barrel tannins, brown sugar, old raisin, a subtle peach, a hint of plum.

Honey, apricot, ethanol, spicy. Courvoisier VS is drinkable with a spicy flavor and notes of fruits and honey. It is acceptable for sipping and good for cocktails. The ethanol burn is significant but still okay for sipping. A few drops of water reveal a honey flavor that is muted when tasted neat. Adding water brings out flavors and is recommended, remembering to use only a few drops.