First Impressions
Elodie and Laurent Vallet at Château de Montifaud have been producing Cognac for generations. In 2015, during a business trip to Germany, they became interested in gin and selected six distinctive aromas from their Cognac range — lime, apple, liquorice, apricot, almond, and clove — and applied their eau-de-vie expertise to gin distillation. The result is a gin made by Cognac people with a Cognac palate.
Tasting
Eleven botanicals including apple, apricot, almond, saffron, and clove. The nose is fresh juniper with citrus and balsamic softness. On the palate at 46%, floral and juniper: supple, rich, with almond nuttiness and bitter orange freshness. The finish is very long — the Cognac producer's expertise in long finishes translating perfectly.
The Bottom Line
Osmoz earns an 8 — when a Cognac house makes gin, the results are remarkable. The long finish, the aromatic complexity, the balance — these are skills honed over generations of Cognac production, now applied to gin. Best neat or in a Martini where the Cognac-trained palate reveals itself. At £35, a French gin from Cognac country that deserves far more recognition.
