Thread: Good Cognac

Fine cognac is a bliss.
I don't mind dropping 100 or 200$ for a bottle of 40 year old cognac, because I drink one glass per time, and a bottle will last a long time.

I have had the pleasure of enjoying cognac on a rare occasion. The bottle was a gift and of course they were eager for me to crack it open ... How sad they were to find I wouldn't drink cognac from anything but a snifter. After all, it is aged brandy. I waited until I found the right glasses before opening the bottle, and it was well worth the wait.

A fine cognac is indeed one of the finer things in life.
My favorite at this point in time is
Bache-Gabrielsen P&R X.O. 1975.

I picked up several bottles of this one.

I do enjoy a nice Cognac. I prefer it to scotch if I'm just sitting and sipping.

I enjoy the Courvoisier XO Imperial.

Gentlemen please forgive my ignorance but what is the difference between Cognac and brandy? Is it just the place in which they are produced, such as some sparkling wine and champaign? Does the methods in production, or the amount of time they are aged differ? Please gentlemen cure me of my encumbrance.

To keep it simple. Cognac is produced in the wine producing region that surrounds the town of Cognac in France (French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime).
Brandy is produced anywhere else in the world. Brandy is distilled from grapes or other fruits. There's also Armagnac (France) which is a lighter version Brandy. Cognac and Armagnac have to be produced from specific regional grape varieties. So basically Cognac and Armagnac are internationally registered so that only the drinks produced in those regions can be called so.

Ahhh thank you for clarifying. That, to me, raises the question raises the question of taste. Is there much of a difference in taste as far as equal quality goes? Or is it one of those things where cognac tends to be better quality because it is so heavily regulated? Thanks for all the help guys.

Originally Posted by Devilpup

Ahhh thank you for clarifying. That, to me, raises the question raises the question of taste. Is there much of a difference in taste as far as equal quality goes? Or is it one of those things where cognac tends to be better quality because it is so heavily regulated? Thanks for all the help guys.

Yes there is a huge difference in tastes between the various Cognacs, Brandys and Armagnacs. You can get them from velvety smooth and mild to the "not-so-much".

Thanks for the help guys.

Glad to know other enjoy such a pricey little pleasure. Here in Ontario, there all held behind glass at our liquor stores. (can't see the typical shoplifting thug go for Cognac)

Personally I liked it slightly warmed, though I here some like it ice cold. I would think being chilled would kill the flavor. That's just me though.