Cognac - where to begin?

[MsStabby]

I have no experience with cognac/brandy, but every year around this time I get an itch to buy a bottle. Relaxing at the end of a long cold day with a glass of lovely carmel-colored liquid, sitting next to the fire is so romantic! But where to begin?

I've poked around the interwebs a bit, and at the low end the Martell VS gets good reviews, particularly for the price. Then there's Courvoisier, and its reputation precedes it.

What is a good affordable (all relative of course) cognac/brandy to get started?

 

[LordBest]

I started with the middle (VSOP generally) range big names, Courvoisier, Henessy, Remy Martin to get a feel for cognac before trying the XO. Try a vew VSOPs (or VS) and if there is one you particularly like, move up to a 'superior' version.
Personally I would recommend Courvoisier or Remy Martin. Oh, good glassware makes a big difference.

Edit: I'm just an enthusiastic amateur, no expert. In terms of affordability, it helps having a relative who travels a lot and can take advantage of duty free shopping.

 

[John in Covina]

Cognac is of course a grape based brandy from specific regions of France. There are other regions of French brandy that are not called Cognac but usually the term Alembic Brandy that refers to the type of still used in the process. The other term is Amagnac. There are terms for the content percentage of the specific regional grapes and ratings of the number of stars or VO & VSOP but price tends to be a good general rating of quality too.

The big names have a following and are considered classic but many countries make very fine brandies such as Germany, Portugal, Spain (I think Cardinal Mendoza) and Greece (Metaxa) that are worth a look at. Some people find that Cognac will give them heartburn, so I'd sugget some small airline bottles before investing big bucks on a full size bottle.

Here in the US we have some large brandy makers good for mixed drink bases, but there are specialty makers such as Jepsom and my personal favorite Germain-Robin.

Here is a website for G-R: http://germain-robin.com/

I don't recall the reference but it has been said "A true hero drinks brandy."

Best wishes in your search.

 

[LordBest]

"Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy." Samuel Johnson.

 

[Tomasso]

"Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men ;but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy." Samuel Johnson.

YEP!

 

[A.Blighty]

"Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy." Samuel Johnson.

Hear, hear! :eusa_clap

Personally, I keep a bottle of Courvoisier VS in the cabinet for when the mood takes me.

Reasonably satisfying stuff and as LordBest said, not too expensive. Definately a good starting point, and its always worth keeping on the lookout for places that sell minatures. If only to satisfy your curiosity with regards to more expensive stuff

 

[Cigarband]

I prefer The German Asbach Uralt to any French brandy.
Could be because I'm half German, and the only thing we do to anything French is invade it.lol lol lol

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I've poked around the interwebs a bit, and at the low end the Martell VS gets good reviews, particularly for the price.

I think that this, particularly for the money, is excellent. A staple in my drinks cabinet. I have tried a lot of varieties of the big houses from special "gift pack" essential a box with three miniature bottles (50cl) in it - these can be available at really good prices and sometime include up to the XO.

With Martell, my favourite, I like the Cordon Bleu best followed by the VS and then the VSOP (yes I prefer the VS to the VSOP).

Also worth getting yourself a little balloon glass to drink it from, perhaps a thrift store purchase?

 

[Absinthe_1900]

I usually keep a bottle of Cerbois Armagnac in my cabinet.

 

[Torpedo]

I find French cognac Frapin to be outstanding. Spanish Cardenal Mendoza and Lepanto are not bad choices, although, to my taste, not as finely flavoured (as an aside, these can not be called cognac by legal reasons - they are "brandies" - , but they are cognacs in all but name).

Regards!

 

[Smithy]

Having lived in Norway, a country which is one of the biggest drinkers of cognac per capita I have to say that the cognacs made specifically for the Norwegian market are by far the very best cognacs I have ever tasted.

Although not the easiest to hunt down outside Scandinavia, the two that I adore are Bache Gabrielsen XO and Larsen XO.

Well worth trying, although not exactly cheap.

 

[dhermann1]

I sort of inherited a couple of bottles of Hennessy a couple years back and went on a bit of a cognac kick. I happened to have a small snifter glass around which helped. I found that I enjoyed less than what you would get at a bar, in terms of amount. I'd pour slightly less than a finger's width in, slosh it around and take a sip. The big glass accumulates the vapors, which immediately hit you as you sip. I'd take just enought to cover my tongue, and let it sit there till it burned off the first coat of paint. Then I'd let it seep into the rest of my mouth. The vapors will just go up and reach every sense organ capable of appreciating the flavor. Hardly even have to swallow really, it just slithers down your throat.
I was living in an area loaded with magnificent restaurants, and my habit was to eat a great meal, have a 5 or 10 minute walk home, and then to pour myself a small spot of cognac. 15 or 20 minutes of sipping in the back yard really finished up the meal nicely. Very very nicely.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

I also keep a bottle of Courvoisier VS, on the shelf. Though, the bottle of Asbach Uralt, sees more use. But, it's technically a brandy, not a Cognac. (I also, will have to start making "supply runs," to MD. The PA State Stores, have stopped stocking it.)

 

[Doctor Strange]

I went through a Cognac phase back in the late 80s, and tried everything that I could get my hands on (and afford at the time). It was pretty atypical, because I'm really not any kind of a drinker - these days, I'm good for a glass on New Year's Eve, and that's about it.

Anyway, of the familar brands, I thought that the VSOPs were all quite good, though I tend to perfer Remy Martin, followed by Courvoisier. Among the VSs, I thought that Hennessy was by far the best (that is, smoothest and with the most sophisticated flavor), though Courvoisier isn't far behind.

Of course, just about any maker's XO, Bras d'Or, Napoleon, etc., is better than the VSOPs.

 

[Tomasso]

Hennessy seems to be popular in some circles..............

 

[rumblefish]

:icon_smil ^ I just wish I had the moment to interrupt him, take the bottle of Hennessy, and say "I'm sorry but Martell makes the best cognac of all time,,, of all time."

 

[Tomasso]

^

lol :eusa_clap

 

[Miss Neecerie]

:icon_smil ^ I just wish I had the moment to interrupt him, take the bottle of Hennessy, and say "I'm sorry but Martell makes the best cognac of all time,,, of all time."

But you would let him finish.....

 

[Ecuador Jim]

I heartily second the comments of LordBest and John in Covina...especially John's comment about Germain Robin.

The heartburn comment is so true; my first experience with cognac was at a dinner party. One gentleman decided to attempt to toast everyone else under the table. Thought I was going to die!

I've had the chance to sample many different grades of this spirit, including Remy Martin's Louis XIII. Although overpriced (in my opinion), the normal burning one encounters is replaced by a comfortable warmth.

For the money, I have found Germain-Robin to be an excellent choice.

I also prefer my brandy to be warm; it releases the complex aromas (if you are using a snifter), and generally eases the burn. Warm your snifter with hot water before pouring your brandy, and cradle the snifter in your palm to transfer your body heat to the brandy. This is definitely a spirit you take your time enjoying.

An interesting side-note about cognac; it was originally developed as a method to make wine "shippable" to France's warmer climates. Temperature control was impossible aboard wooden ships, and wine would frequently spoil during transport. Some folks experimented with distilling the grape (eau de vie), and the idea was that it would then be "reconstituted" at its destination. The reconstitution idea wasn't workable, but the experimenters had discovered something special.

The Italians then took the leftover grape product from cognac making, worked it over one more time....and grappa was born. But, that's another discussion.

 

[filfoster]

Cognac'd again

I like the cachet and taste of brandy and cognac. I have tried for over 30 years to drink it without experiencing a horrible hangover the next day. Even good brandy and cognac have this effect on my physiology. I recently bought a bottle of Hennessy, without selling any blood plasma or pawning my watch. I eventually drank it all, just a small glass each time, at the end of many evenings of wine drinking, my usual quaff. With perhaps only one exception, the result was the same: a morning after akin to waking up after surgery.
This experiment will continue, however.
Anyone else have this issue?