Chateau de Beaulon XO Premier 12 Year 750ML

Chateau de Beaulon XO Premier 12 Year 750ML is a single-estate Fins Bois cognac aged 12 years and bottled at 40% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Winner of a Gold medal at the 2017 Vinalies Internationales, this expression distinguishes itself through an unusual grape blend of Colombard and Folle Blanche — eschewing the Ugni Blanc that dominates most cognac production — and two additional years of maturation beyond the XO category's legal 10-year minimum.

Quick Facts: ABV: 40%  |  Origin: Fins Bois, Cognac, France  |  Age: 12 Years  |  Distillery: Chateau de Beaulon

Production & Heritage

Chateau de Beaulon sits on 90 hectares of limestone hillsides in the Charentes region, producing cognac exclusively from its own Fins Bois vineyards. The estate distills in four small copper pot stills, maintaining hands-on control over every stage from vine to bottle. Where nearly all cognac houses rely heavily on Ugni Blanc, the XO Premier is composed entirely of Colombard and Folle Blanche — two heritage varietals that tend to produce more aromatic, fruit-forward eaux-de-vie. After distillation, the spirit rests in oak for a full 12 years, surpassing the XO category's minimum aging requirement by two years and yielding deeper integration of wood and fruit character.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Warm fruit bread and toasted almonds greet the nose first, followed by ripe peach and pineapple in syrup. Beneath those primary notes, gorse blossom and a hint of orange peel add aromatic complexity.

Taste: The entry is smooth, with butterscotch and vanilla coating the palate before richer notes of caramel and baked peach emerge at mid-palate. Cinnamon spice builds gradually, adding a racy edge to the fruit-driven sweetness. The overall impression is one of depth and richness without heaviness.

Finish: The finish is notably long, carrying orange and toasted almond alongside gentle warmth. Cinnamon and dried fruit linger as the oak tannins recede softly.

How to Drink Chateau de Beaulon XO

Neat in a tulip glass at room temperature is the primary serve, allowing the aromatic complexity of the Colombard and Folle Blanche blend to fully express itself. A few drops of water can open up the fruit bread and peach notes without diminishing the structure.

In a Sidecar, the butterscotch richness stands up to Cointreau and lemon juice without being overshadowed. A Vieux Carré benefits from the XO Premier's cinnamon spice and orange peel, which complement the sweet vermouth and Bénédictine. For a simpler serve, a Cognac Old Fashioned lets the toasted almond and caramel notes shine against a backdrop of demerara sugar and Angostura bitters.

Best For

• After-dinner sipping alongside dark chocolate or pastry
• Gifting a spirits enthusiast who appreciates single-estate French production
• Exploring heritage cognac grape varietals beyond standard Ugni Blanc expressions
• Building a cognac collection with well-aged, artisanal bottlings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chateau de Beaulon XO taste like? It leads with butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel before developing into baked peach, toasted almond, and warming cinnamon spice. The profile is rich and fruit-forward with a notably long finish carrying orange and dried fruit.

How does Chateau de Beaulon XO compare to larger-house XO cognacs? Unlike major cognac houses that blend eaux-de-vie from multiple growers and regions, Chateau de Beaulon is a single-estate operation using only its own Fins Bois vineyards and an all-Colombard-and-Folle-Blanche blend. This results in a more fruit-driven, aromatic character compared to the Ugni Blanc-dominant profiles typical of most commercially available XO cognacs.

Is Chateau de Beaulon XO good for sipping neat? Absolutely — 12 years of oak aging and the 40% ABV make it approachable and complex enough to drink without any dilution. The smooth texture and layered fruit-and-spice profile reward slow, contemplative sipping.

Where is Chateau de Beaulon XO made? It is produced at the Chateau de Beaulon estate on 90 hectares of limestone hillsides in the Charentes area of France, using eaux-de-vie exclusively from the Fins Bois growing region within the Cognac appellation.

What foods pair well with Chateau de Beaulon XO? Dark chocolate truffles complement the butterscotch and cinnamon warmth. Tarte Tatin mirrors the baked fruit character. Aged Comté cheese echoes the toasted nut notes. Crème brûlée matches the vanilla and caramel. Roasted duck with an orange glaze bridges the spirit's citrus and spice elements.

What sizes does Chateau de Beaulon XO come in? The standard and most widely available size is the 750ml bottle.

Is Chateau de Beaulon XO worth the price? It positions as a premium single-estate cognac that competes favorably with larger-house XO bottlings, offering genuine 12-year aging and a distinctive heritage grape blend that most producers in the category do not use, representing strong value within the XO tier.

Why Chateau de Beaulon XO?

The decision to use only Colombard and Folle Blanche — rather than the near-universal Ugni Blanc — is the defining choice here, producing eaux-de-vie with more inherent fruit intensity and floral lift. Backed by a Gold medal at the 2017 Vinalies Internationales and a 91-point average on CellarTracker, the quality has been recognized beyond the estate's own claims. At 12 years old, it exceeds the current XO minimum aging requirement, delivering the kind of oak integration and complexity that shorter-aged XO bottlings simply cannot match. For anyone seeking a cognac that reflects a specific terroir and grape identity rather than a blended house style, this Fins Bois expression makes a compelling case.