Thread: Good Cognac to keep for a few years?

I thought if anyone can help me with this problem, the guys at SRP can so here goes.

Next month I turn 18 and like the idea of purchasing a good bottle of cognac to keep for a few years and crack open one day in the hope that it will have 'matured', possibly for the birth of my first child(thinking a little far ahead) if it can survive that long!

Ideally I'd like to spend a small fortune and come out with a bottle of Louis XIII but, well, I'm not made of money. In reality I'm looking to spend somewhere between £50-200ish, which is way more than I've ever spent on cognac in the past(I usually just stick to supermarket levels of Courvoisier and so have never really spent more than £50).

I know the majority of ageing is done in the cask but I've also heard that there is something to be gained from not immediately drinking a bottle after purchase, at 17 my personal experience is quite limited so thats where you guys can hopefully help out .

Tried and tested cognacs slightly upmarket from what I'm used to, cognacs reputed to age well or simply a "don't bother holding onto a bottle, you gain nothing" would be much appreciated.

Cognac, like whiskey, doesn't age in the bottle. Well, it gets older, but it doesn't "age" like wine or some beers. But if you find a bottle you want at a good price, get it and hold onto it.

Thanks, I assume the high price on older bottles is down to rarity rather than quality then.
You mentioned whisky but the not ageing beyond the cask characteristic of all spirits?

Honestly, for the money, I'd buy a Courvoisier XO. In Canada they retail at about $300 a bottle, so probably about 130 pounds...

I love the stuff....I don't have any...because I can't afford it...but I love it.

As said above, cognac won't age after bottling. As a side note on the subject, some spirits flavor profile can change after a bottle is opened, but then stored for a period of time. I have recent had the conviction to keep half a bottle of Laphroaig 10year cask strength for a couple of months. My brother and i then pulled it out a few weeks ago while we had a fresh bottle of the same batch to compare it too. Very enjoyable experiment, but I was too distracted by company to take any tasting notes

This can also have a negative effect from what i have read. I guess it depends on the whiskey. Not something i would suggest for log term storage.

Originally Posted by GupKing

Thanks, I assume the high price on older bottles is down to rarity rather than quality then.
You mentioned whisky but the not ageing beyond the cask characteristic of all spirits?

Same holds for all hard liquors: rum, tequila, etc. I think once you get above about 30% (60 proof), bottle time makes no difference. Some get little aging time in barrels, the clear spirits like vodka, gin, some corn whisky.

By older bottles, do you mean the age listed on the bottle, or do you mean an old dusty bottle that turned up somewhere? If you mean the age on the bottle, the older the better (usually). Poorly made spirits won't benefit much by any more aging over the 2 year (I think) minimum of most whisky.

Yeah, not worth to keep just for the sake of 'aging' it. They can change a lot in the barrel, but if you buy say 12 years aged bottle today and then leave it for 4 more years it is not going to be even close to the bottle that you can buy 4 years from now that was aged 16 years. The two most important factors of course are (1) the liquor in the barrel will change, while in the bottle not very much (2) the one that was bottled 4 years later will be blended differently to achieve what the blender wanted.
(Plus almost all cognacs in your price range will be blends of different years and perhaps regions.)

Then there is also another problem with aging cognacs/whiskey for decades in a barrel - the alcohol evaporates, so after 30-40-60 years most of the time you end up with something that doesn't meet the standard to be called cognac/whiskey, just because the alcohol level isn't high enough.

If were you I'd stash a bottle of something you like, or drink often and later you can go back and think 'seriously? i was drinking this...', or may be you'll be 'wow, i didn't do that bad', or 'this new version of the same thing is totally not what it was X years ago'....

I will always like hennessy vsop just because there was a really fun period when my friends and I used to drink it all the time. Even though I now enjoy slightly different things better.

Originally Posted by GupKing

Thanks, I assume the high price on older bottles is down to rarity rather than quality then.
You mentioned whisky but the not ageing beyond the cask characteristic of all spirits?

The price you pay is due to several factors, one of which is rarity, the other two are brand name, and age when bottled. Don't think a $5,000 dollar bottle won't be much higher quality than a $100 bottle. It most certainly will be, however, whether it will be 50 times better is very much up for debate.

I have been fortunate enough to try several very fine Cognacs from $50 bottles to $300, and I must say; my personal favorite and current bottle in my bar is Remy Martin XO. It is smooth, complex and has a wonderful caramel undertone which really appeals to me. I have also heard great things about Courvoisier XO, but have yet to try it (it is next on my list, but I don't exactly race through bottles of this stuff). Both of those bottles run around $120 and should be plenty fancy for anything you have in mind. Once you get your feet wet you can see if something more expensive is for you and you will be better informed to make a big purchase to keep for a special occasion down the road.

Also, if you do end up buying an expensive bottle make sure to keep it cool and out of sunlight. That should keep it (and you) happy for many years down the line.

GupKing,

Hennessey XO is very nice

Have fun !

regards

Russ

Bache-Gabrielsen XO 1975 is good, if you can get hold of one.