Cognac suggestions?
wwhwang
Posts: 2,878 ✭✭✭
Hey guys. I've recently been experimenting with blended scotch (I'll be going into single malts later) and I'm loving JW Black so far. I've tried Chivas Regal and so far, it's a bit pedestrian.
But I'm also interested in cognac and brandy. Any suggestions? And please don't tell me to get Hennessy just because some rapper put it in his music :P
But I'm also interested in cognac and brandy. Any suggestions? And please don't tell me to get Hennessy just because some rapper put it in his music :P
0
Comments
Over here, the government owns the liquor control boards, which in turn is the only outlet for alcohol except for the province of Alberta. At least, that's what I've learned in the two months I've lived here.
Honestly, anything that has come out of the Pierre Ferrand distillery has been very good as far as I'm concerned. They make all of the Ferrand stuff, Gabriel and Associates, Plantation Rum, as well as a vodka, gin and a calvados (apple brandy) that I haven't tried yet. Kelt Tour du Monde didn't impress me at all. I'll probably use that as a mixer. Landy Desir came in a really...um....feminine bottle (that got transfered to my old Remy XO bottle very quickly) and was an OK cognac but not spectacular. Dieu makes a decent XO at a good price. I've only tried one from Leopold Gourmel and it was pretty good. Have two more nips waiting for me. Also recently tried a smaller house cognac that someone had at Gloucester St Cigars in Boston when I did the 262 event there that was really good but I can't remember the name.
There are a few things to think about with cognac. The levels:
VS: Very Special - young cognac - minimum age of 2 years - This stuff can be tough to get down, but look for bright, fruity notes.
VSOP: Very Special Old Pale - More drinkable than VS - minimum of 4 years - affordable, slightly smoother than VS with some vanilla/caramel notes from the additional aging, still keeping some of the vibrant, youthful notes.
XO: Extra Old - very smooth and mellow - minimum of 6 years - more expensive but much smoother with stronger wood, vanilla, caramel, banana, etc - wood being very pronounced and less of the young notes.
Napoleon: Usually falls somewhere between a VSOP and XO - I think only Courvoisier uses this one but each has its own designation.
Then there's the Louis XIII, Richard Hennessy and all the other super premiums that can fetch for thousands and even into the millions (yes, millions) for a bottle.
Most of the designations age their eaux de vie (unaged cognac) much longer than the minimum - an XO can have cognacs as old as 20 or even 40 years blended in with 6 year old cognacs. Lots are blended with grapes from the different regions. Very few will be region specific (Gabriel and Associates puts out region specific cognacs that are worth trying).
Then, there are the regions - if you're buying cognac, it can only come from the Cognac or Champagne region of France. Anywhere else and it's Brandy. The four regions:
Grande Champagne: the smallest and most highly regarded - these will generally take the longest to mature and are strongly mixed in most XOs.
Petite Champagne: the next step down in regards - lies directly outside Grande and is also mixed heavily in XOs.
Borderies: the smallest region - has its own profile - these eaux de vie mature slightly quicker than Petite and will be mixed in napoleons and VSOPs to achieve a specific flavor profile.
Fin Bois: the largest region - these mature quickest, showing bright notes of fruit and sweet notes. These are mixed with a cognac going for a slightly sweeter profile where Grande and Petite will create a "dry" style cognac.
Hope this helps. Cheers!