Park is not a very well-known brand in the field of cognacs. The fact that until 2005 the company produced distillates only for the needs of other manufacturers has a big influence on the matter. Distillerie Tessendier&Fils, which has been producing distillates on a small, 25-hectare vineyard since 1880, decided in 2005 that the time was ready for marketing its own bottles. Tessendier&Fils operates in the smallest production area of the cognac province, the Borderies. The company has also a special batch containing pure Borderies distillates in its selection. However, Park VSOP is a mixture of distillates from three different production areas, which might mean that the bottle does not contain the company’s own production at all. VSOP has been aged for 8 months in new oak barrels and 40 months in used barrels. Park cognacs are brought to Estonia by Moe Distillery, a 70 cl bottle costing €29.99.
The color of the cognac is dark brown and reflects well the VSOP age class distillate. The smell is quite mild. A little fruity, slightly floral and caramel sweetness. The taste is somewhere between soft and sharp. There is still a sense of the roughness of a young distillate, which is, however, soothed by the softness of the caramel sweetness. No particular element is clearly distinguished in the taste. It has a bit of fruitiness and floweriness, as well as oak barrel aromas and the “leatheriness” typical of VSOP. However, the taste is not particularly deep and the aftertaste is also on the shorter side, although it has nice spicy nuances. Park falls into the average category of VSOP cognacs. It’s not bad at all, but it doesn’t offer anything very special either.
84/100