Smells of fig, molasses, raisin, and vanilla with very little “booziness.” Taste is fairly sweet with flavors of cherry, apple, honey, grape juice, pear, and apricot. The finish is long with a warmth but no real burn, featuring notes of vanilla, fig, and brown sugar that slowly fades into oak, tobacco, and a hint of forest floor. Overall, much more enjoyable to sip on than the VS, and similar to the armagnac but with more oak. Definitely worth the extra $10 or less over the VS.
A sidecar is very smooth and tastes of candied lemon and orange with a hint of figgy raisins, but the oak and perhaps most of the nuance of the cognac is buried.
A Cognac Rose is a perfect harmony between lemon, grenadine, and spirit, though the oak is quite attenuated.
A Cognac Jack tastes like lemon drops and apples, with just a hint of dry oak in the finish, but for the most part the cognac is completely hidden.
An Old Fashioned is smooth, with notes of citrus, oak, vanilla, and brown sugar. I’d honestly recommend either Old Fashioneds (and maybe Manhattans, I’m currently out of red vermouth) or just sipping the VSOP straight, VS for all other cocktails.