Time to open the 18th pouch of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar! Today (well, technically yesterday, since I publish the next morning to avoid spoiling other calendar owners), we discovered a La Récession 42-year-old Cognac. Cognac-Expert created La Récession as a brand to release a handful of sourced cognacs from négociants, bottled exclusively for them. Who from, you ask? Well, you might learn more after the break.
La Récession 42-Year-Old Fins Bois Cognac (2025) Review
This La Récession is a 42-year-old Fins Bois cognac sourced, from what I’ve heard on the grapevine (pun intended), from Vallein Tercinier. This Lot 83 was distilled from Ugni Blanc grapes with their lees in a 24-hectolitre alembic. The eau-de-vie then matured for 42 years in medium toast casks, moving from a dry to a damp cellar, before bottling at 43.6% ABV (likely cask strength, though I cannot certify that 100%). Unfortunately, this La Récession 42y is not yet available, so you will have to check Cognac-Expert in the coming weeks to grab a bottle.
Colour:
Honey
Nose:
Neat: The nose is immediately inviting and ‘pastry-like’ (gourmand). It opens with heavy notes of candied orange peel, quince jelly, and spiced apricots. As it breathes, it also reveals beeswax, polished antique furniture, and a touch of fresh pipe tobacco. There is a distinct ‘rancio’ presence here, showing forest floor (wet leaves/mushrooms) and nutmeg.
Palate:
Neat: On the palate, the texture is rich and oily, coating the mouth effectively. The attack is surprisingly fresh for its age. It delivers bursts of juicy peaches, mirabelle plum, and ripe figs, covered in fruit syrup and honey. This fruitiness transitions quickly into warmer, darker tones of toffee, gingerbread, and roasted walnuts. The oak influence is well-integrated, providing structure with maybe a tad too much bitterness. It manifests as sweet wood spices like cinnamon and liquorice, as well as a nice peppery heat.
Finish:
The finish is long and warming, leaning into savory and earthy notes. It leaves a lingering impression of sandalwood, leather, and a final whisper of dried fruits, as well as a fresh and herbal note of mint or eucalyptus, which lifts the heavy richness of the fruit.
Comments:
Lovely and fresh old Cognac from Fins Bois. No tropical fruits here, but more orchard ones, covered in syrup and honey. The sweetness and bitterness take turns and are not completely balanced, but this doesn’t prevent this old and sourced cognac to be very good.