Even if you've never tried Cognac, chances are you've heard a lot about it in one of the thousands of rap songs out there. But what exactly is it? The amber-coloured spirit is an aged brandy (distilled wine) produced in France's Cognac region. 

THE ORIGIN OF COGNAC

"Brandy is something you can make any place in the world." Cognac is a product that can only be made in the west of France, like champagne, the region speaks for the quality "That's what makes it unique," said Hugo Gallimard, Martell Cognac's brand education manager. "Ideal weather, combined with perfect soil, and a couple hundred years of experience." Wine, usually from ugni blanc grapes, gets twice distilled, then sits in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years before it can be called a Cognac like Courvoisier or Remy Martin, and thusly passed.

HOW SHOULD I DRINK COGNAC?

During the aperitif, the cognac is usually consumed neat, but adding a drop of water reveals more fruity, floral and spicy aromas and makes the tasting experience smoother. Similarly, adding two ice cubes will dilute the cognac and reduce the alcohol percentage, which reveals these aromas while making the taste more refreshing. The goal is that the ice cubes melt slowly, revealing new aromas at each step.

Cognac can even be consumed frozen, which makes the liquid very viscous (it does not freeze due to the high alcohol level) and gives an experience that is almost velvety in the mouth. This pairs particularly well with seafood: oysters, lobster, or sushi.

For a simple long drink as an aperitif, the cognac can be consumed with tonic or ginger ale. This brings out notes of fresh fruit, even liquorice, in a Rémy Martin VSOP. This is how cognac is normally enjoyed by the locals in the Cognac area as an aperitif.

HOW TO CHOOSE A SMOOTH COGNAC

The age of a Cognac is the first key to determining a good drop, and it only can be aged in French oak barrels which helps to add its diversity of flavours. Think colours and aromas of caramel, toffee, leather, and a warm spice blend which are produced from these special oak vessels. VS or Very Special Cognac indicates that the spirit has been aged in the barrel for at least two years. VSOP, or Very Superior Old Pale, has been similarly aged for a minimum of four years. XO or Extra Old Cognac has been aged for at least ten years.

BEST SELLING COGNAC AT MATTHEWS LIQUOR STORES

Hennessy XO Cognac 700ml

Hennessy is the world's largest cognac house. The House of Hennessy, founded by Irish immigrant Richard Hennessy, controls over 40% of the global cognac market. From its V.S. to Paradise cognacs, Hennessy produces a wide range of high-quality products. Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton, a French luxury goods corporation, currently owns Hennessy.

Maurice Hennessy created Hennessy XO in 1870, and it was the first Cognac to be classified as X.O, or "extra old." The House of Hennessy also boasts the distinction of producing the first "very special old pale" cognac. In 1818, at the request of The Prince of Wales, who would later become King George IV of Great Britain, Hennessy created the first V.S.O.P.

• Age: Hennessy XO. is a blend of about 100 different eaux-de-vie made from Ugni Blanc grapes from the Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fin Bois appellations that are aged up to thirty years in French Limousine oak barrels.
• The Nose (Nez): Dried and candied fruits are the first impression followed by warm cinnamon spice and light black pepper.
• Mouth (En Bouche): Orange, black pepper, powdered cocoa, and oaky leather.
• Finish: Very long cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, and oak finish.

Martell Cognac Blue Swift 700ML

Blue Swift is a roaring triumph that demonstrates how well Cognac and Bourbon can enhance one other. The spirit's colour is bourbon-dark, far darker than any normal VSOP you'll come across.

There's a lot going on the nose, with brandy's classic raisin-plum aromas blending wonderfully with oaky whiskey notes, as well as cinnamon, flamed banana, and a hint of almond.

That's followed up with aplomb by the palate. A light body gives way to luscious fruit with a hint of wood. Currants and vanilla, figs and chocolate, traces of peppermint and gingerbread meld into a remarkably unified whole that celebrates the finest of both the brandy and bourbon worlds.

The finish is light and airy, not thick, cloying, or exaggerated in any way. Rather, it's slightly drying and refreshing, with toasty wood aromas lingering and fruity raisin undertones.

Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac 

The Rémy Martin VSOP is made with specially selected grapes from the famed Fine Champagne Cognac crus and is finely balanced to combine both strong and exquisite stone fruit and vanilla aromas. The eaux-de-vie of the Grande and Petite Champagne are renowned for their aging potential. This Cognac is a legend, and it has been recreated numerous times with a series of limited-edition Cognacs. It was first produced in 1927, when André Renaud, the Cellar Master at the time, put together the first VSOP Fine Champagne. History was made right there and then.

• Eye: Golden red, amber.
• Nose: Base notes of vanilla due to the maturation process in French Limousine oak casks. Notes of ripe apricot, baked apple and a elegant floral aroma.
• Palate: Harmonious marriage between firmness of ripe fruits, subtle notes of licoricey, and a great complexity of powerful, elegant aromas. The body is wonderfully structured, with multiple layers. Body has the roundness of ripe fruit with a silky texture.

Introduce our 2022 Lunar New Year Limited Bottle: V.S.O.P Privilège x Zhang Enli

We are proud to be one of the few exclusive suppliers of Hennessy’s Special Lunar New Year limited edition: V.S.O.P Privilège x Zhang Enli.

 

• The Hennessy VSOP Privilège blend is the expression of eight generations of Master Blenders know-how.
• To perpetuate the legacy of the original Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège, Hennessy Master Blenders have constantly sought to create a completely harmonious blend: it is the definitive expression of a perfectly balanced cognac.
• Based on a selection of firmly structured eaux-de-vie, aged largely in partially used barrels in order to take on subtle levels of oak tannins, this highly characterful cognac reveals balanced aromas of fresh vanilla, cinnamon and toasty notes, all coming together with a seamless perfection.

Limited stocks only

 

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