Cognac Lot 19.14 Malternative Belgium Private Bottling for Passion For Whisky

Sometimes you get an opportunity that you just have to take! When Pieter Knapen, the man behind Malternative Belgium, offered us a yet-to-be-bottled 1914 cognac, we were immediately enthusiastic and had a sample sent to us. When tasting it, we were really blown away and convinced: this is what we would like to attach our name to!

Origin and bottling

This cognac was specially selected by and bottled for Passion for Whisky / Passie voor Whisky. We were only able to have 39 bottles bottled, as there was no more in the Dame-Jeanne. The bottling of this very rare cognac took place early on Saturday 11 November 2023. It could hardly be more symbolic, as World War I ended on 11 November 1918.

The label features a surreal depiction of the war in 1914. This is also the year of distillation of this Cognac Lot 19.14. Since World War I started in July 1914, this cognac was most probably distilled by women.

Malternative Belgium, by the way, is using a new type of bottle from this Private Bottling onwards, which is only used for the higher range. So we have the premiere!

Cask type

The cognac comes from the commune of Burie and has been aged on a Dame-Jeanne for 30 years. Dame-Jeanne is the French word for a large glass basket bottle used to store aged eau-de-vie once it has reached its peak in the oak maturation process.

So this cognac has had nearly 80 years of maturation. It was bought from a manufacturer of Alambics in Cognac. This man's father had bought the cognac from a family from the commune of Burie.

Tasting note

Colour

Hazelnut brown with an ochre shine.

Nose

Warm scent of roasted chestnuts, moss and forest after a November rain. Dark red fruit, but like wine gum. A very pleasant sweetness. Hazelnut chocolate with nice ratio of sweet, bitter and maturity.

Taste

In the first onset, freshly sweet. Powerful and particularly mouth-filling. Tannin is evident and gives structure to the whole. Orange marmalade. Yellow parched fruit. Old Fashioned cocktail, but very old.

Finish

The orange marmalade and tannic bitters in particular continue to reverberate on the palate for minutes.

Overall impression

What vitality still for such an old distillate! When you talk about a piece of history in the bottle, this is an example in optima forma.