We write often about the various forms of whiskey. We write so much about bourbon, rye, single malt Scotch, and the various other forms of whiskey, especially during the winter months, that we sometimes forget about winter’s unsung hero: cognac.
For those who aren’t acquainted with this French spirit, cognac isn’t whiskey even though it strongly resembles it in appearance, sometimes even flavor. It’s actually a type of brandy that gets its name from the city of Cognac in the southwest part of the country. It’s distilled from wine instead of barley and other grains.
For the uninitiated, cognac, like bourbon, Scotch, and tequila has a certain set of rules. It’s made from distilled white wine, must be distilled two times, must be distilled in copper pot stills, then aged in French oak barrels for at least two years. While brandy can be made literally anywhere in the world (there are even a few large brands in the US) in order to be called a cognac, it must be made in France in the Cognac region. The area is well known for its great terroir, and you can see that by the seemingly endless fields of growing grapes everywhere you look.
Unlike whiskey, cognac (also known as eau de vie before it’s aged), since it’s made with wine, it has a strict schedule. The distilling season begins in early October and only lasts until the end of March. This is because cognac can’t be made until the grapes have been harvested and turned into wine.
While there is a minimum age requirement for cognac, like with single malt Scotch whisky or bourbon, most cognac spends longer than it needs to age. Unlike whiskey, cognacs don’t carry an age statement. This is because blending is a big part of the process and bottles can have cognacs that range in age. Instead, they’re given categories based solely on the minimum age of the juice included in the expression.
The youngest is VS (Very Special). This cognac has a minimum age of three years. The next level is VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) with a minimum age of five years. The next level is XO (Extra Old) which has a minimum age of ten years. You might even run into a fancy bottle labeled XXO (Extra Extra Old). While it might seem like it’s signifying a few hugs and kisses, in reality, this bottle has a minimum age of fourteen years.
Now that you know a few things about this mellow, sweet, easy to drink, French spirit. It’s time to warm your winter bones by sipping some. To help you out, we listed twelve of our favorites guaranteed, after one sip, to keep you warm from now until the spring thaw.
Pierre Ferrand Réserve Cognac
This XO cognac is made up of eau de vie from Premier Cru of the Grande Champagne region. While the XO designation means the youngest spirit is at least ten years old. The oldest is 20 years old. It’s first aged in cognac barrels before being transferred to Banyul barrels ( a French dessert wine). The result is a highly complex cognac with hints of dried cherries, raisins, vanilla, cooking spices, and a gentle, nutty sweetness.
D’Usse VSOP Cognac
On top of having one of the coolest bottles in the cognac world, D’Usse VSOP is made with a blend of complex, flavorful eau-de-vie that’s been aged for a minimum of four and half years in the cellars of the Château de Cognac. This results in a bold, rich, smooth cognac with notes of candied almonds, raisins, cinnamon spice, clover honey, and sweet vanilla.
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
Courvoisier is more than just the drink of choice of Tim Meadows’ iconic character “The Ladies Man.” It’s one of the most renowned, historical cognac houses. Its award-winning VSOP is a blend of four different crus of varying ages. It’s known for its rich, complex flavor highlighted by notes of ripe fruit, baking spices, vanilla, and mellow, sweet butterscotch.
Louis Royer XO Cognac
Sure it doesn’t have the same name recognition as some of the popular names in the cognac world, but Louis Royer XO is not to be missed. It’s made of a blend of eau-de-vie that was aged for a minimum of six years in French Limousin oak barrels. The result is a memorable sipper with notes of candied orange peels, pipe tobacco, clover honey, vanilla, and dried fruits.
Rémy Martin XO Cognac
This highly prized cognac is known as the signature expression from Rémy Martin’s Cellar Master. While some cognacs are a blend of a handful of eau-de-vies, this expression is made up of a blend of as many as 400 different cognacs. It’s sublimely complex and carries flavors of raisins, dried cherries, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, and caramelized almonds.
Hennessy Black Cognac
Available since 2009, this US-only expression has a higher ABV than many of the brand’s other cognac. It’s made with a blend of 45 eau-de-vies aged in older French Limousin oak casks. This results in a highly mixable, equally sippable cognac with notes of clover honey, vanilla beans, oak, and a nice kick of warming spice at the very end.
Martell Blue Swift Cognac
While we believe the sweet, mellow flavor of cognac would appeal to bourbon drinkers, Martell Blue Swift might be the best gateway cognac ever made for fans of the Kentucky-based spirit. That’s because, unlike many other cognacs on the market, this VSOP cognac blend was finished in ex-bourbon barrels. This results in a mellow, balanced cognac with flavors like vanilla beans, dried cherries, raisins, ginger candy, and rich oaky wood.
H by HINE Cognac
While we’re not exactly sure what it means, Hine refers to this blend of twenty eau-de-vies from Grande and Petite Champagne grapes as “Coachella in a bottle.” We assume it means that this VSOP cognac is ready to party and isn’t worried about who knows it. Designed to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail, it’s highlighted by hints of fruit esters, dried fruits, oaky wood, vanilla beans, and a nice, nutty sweetness throughout.
Bisquit & Dubouché VSOP Cognac
This highly regarded VSOP cognac is made with a blend of eau-de-vies from Petite and Grande Champagne. This refined, well-made cognac is perfectly suited as a winter sipper neat or on the rocks because of its notes of caramel apples, dried fruits, raisins, candied orange peels, vanilla cream, and slight baking spices at the finish.
ABK6 XO Cognac
While the name might look like a robot from the Star Wars universe, this cognac has nothing to do with The Book of Boba Fett. This award-winning, single estate XO cognac is known for its rich, memorable flavors including candied orange peels, candied hazelnuts, oaky wood, wintry spices, and dried fruits. It’s a truly exceptional XO cognac.
Bache-Gabrielsen Tre Kors Cognac
The name might be a bit of a mouthful, but this is actually a great VS cognac for beginners and aficionados alike. Made with a blend of Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, and Fins Bois eau de vies, it’s only matured for two years in French Limousin oak barrels. The result is a young, but exciting cognac that carries flavors of raisins, apricots, woody oak, buttery caramel, chocolate fudge, and a gentle sweet and spicy finish.
Frapin Château Fontpinot XO Cognac
This single-family estate XO cognac is made using 100 percent Grande Champagne eau-de-vie. From farm-to-bottle cognac starts with grapes grown, harvested, distilled, aged, and bottled at Château Fontpinot. Due to its long aging in on-premise dry cellars, it’s known for its notes of apricots, raisins, vanilla beans, candied nuts, citrus peels, and buttery caramel. It’s well-suited for slow sipping neat while you await the eventual, and eagerly awaited, return of spring weather.
Disclosure: Clicking on these links and making a purchase may earn us a small referral fee, at no extra cost to you. Learn more here.
