Mandarine Napoleon XO Grande Reserve is a limited edition cognac with only a select number of bottles produced. It combines Grande Champagne XO cognac, which makes up 43% of the total, alongside distilled mandarin orange peels and 27 herbs and spices. The spirit is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for around $350 per bottle.
The Cognac is exotic with notes of incense, sandalwood, fresh herbs, mint, and lemon peel… then the orange character comes along, mellow, sweet but not overpowering, and beautifully balanced. This is amazing stuff… though probably not something you’ll be guzzling down every day.
Round tones of sweet orange linger in continuous waves of preserved citrus fruit. Just when you think the experience is ending, it comes back again for a gentler round of sensuality. The cognac plays its supporting role well. If I were stuck on a desert island with only one bottle of orange flavored spirit of any kind, this would be it.
