Updated
2024-10-23T19:52:24Z
When you bargain done our links, Business Insider whitethorn gain an connection commission. Learn more
More truthful than vodka, rum, aliases gin, Cognac is synonymous pinch luxury. Enjoyed by French royalty and European nobility for centuries, it is still often seen arsenic a awesome of wealthiness and status.
Cognac's rich | history and nan craftsmanship that goes into distilling, aging, and blending nan tone make it genuinely desirable. In fact, akin to really tequila is regulated, nan accumulation of cognac is controlled by nan French authorities to support traditions and precocious standards of quality. Our 2 apical picks exemplify this culture: Cognac Park Borderies Single Vineyard and Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges.
Due to its quality arsenic a uniquely French merchandise pinch a heavy history, nan world of cognac tin beryllium a spot difficult to navigate. To thief constrictive nan scope, we said pinch 2 cognac experts — beverage consultant, Jesse Cyr, and bartender and educator, Ms. Franky Marshall, to stock pinch america their favourite cognacs and what makes nan tone special.
Our apical picks for nan champion cognac
Best overall: Cognac Park Borderies Single Vineyard – See astatine Wine.com
Best apical shelf: Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges – See astatine Total Wine
Best for cocktails: Camus VSOP – See astatine Total Wine
Best VS: Hennessy VS Cognac – See astatine Total Wine
Best VSOP: Frapin VSOP Cognac – See astatine Caskers
Best Napoléon: François Voyer's Napoléon Cognac – See astatine Cognac Experts
Best XO: Prunier Cognac XO – See astatine Total Wines
What is cognac?
Cognac is simply a style of French brandy distilled from fermented grapes. To beryllium branded a cognac, accumulation must abide by a bid of rules group by nan French authorities known arsenic nan appellation d'origine contrôlée. Essentially, each cognac must beryllium produced successful France, and each of nan grapes utilized for accumulation are grown successful circumstantial regions known arsenic Crus. Cognac must beryllium distilled doubly utilizing copper cookware stills. The unaged grape brandy, known arsenic eau-de-vie, is required to beryllium aged for a minimum of 2 years successful barrels made of French oak.
Cognacs are sorted by grades that show nan minimum magnitude for which each cognac was aged:
- VS: Aged 2 to 4 years.
- VSOP: Aged 4 to six years.
- Napoléon: Aged six to 10 years.
- XO: Aged astatine slightest 10 years.
Best overall: Cognac Park Borderies Single Vineyard
Distilled wholly from grapes from nan Borderies region, this cognac does not disappoint. "It's incredibly easy to bask pinch those beautiful unique floral notes that only eau-de-vies from Borderies tin provide," says Marshall.
This cognac is blended from barrels aged astir 10 to 15 years, truthful nan floral aroma is backed up by rich, information flavors. "It's a awesome wide cognac," says Cyr. "The chemoreceptor has hints of violet and nan palate has notes of butterscotch and bananas foster."
If you can't find nan Cognac Park bottle, we besides loved Courvoisier VSOP. This cognac is made pinch grapes from aggregate increasing sites and barrel-aged to create a balanced, approachable, and affordable VSOP bottle.
Best apical shelf: Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges
When it's clip to show disconnected aliases celebrate, you can't spell incorrect reaching for Ferrand's Selection des Anges, aliases S.D.A. "Not an mundane cognac astatine this value point," says Marshall. "But it's ample, luscious, and fitting for a typical occasion."
"It's an perfectly gorgeous bottle," says Cyr. Aged for astir 25-35 years and bottled astatine a somewhat higher ABV than nan modular 40%, this cognac is complex, full-flavored, and smooth. It has an aroma reminiscent of candied walnut and roses pinch spirit notes of acheronian coffee, ripe fruit, and cedar.
If you're successful nan temper to splurge, we person to mention Martell Cordon Bleu. This premium look from apical cognac location Martell is fruity, spicy, and soft — conscionable what you would expect from a heavy aged, premium cognac.
Best for cocktails: Camus VSOP
Although cognac is usually sipped neat, it's besides nan guidelines tone for a fistful of classical cocktails. When mixing a drink, it's important that nan tone is bold capable to clasp its ain among nan different ingredients. With that successful mind, our experts some urge nan Camus VSOP. "It's intensely fragrant and comparatively affordable," says Cyr.
The Camus VSOP's beardown floral and fruity aroma, on pinch flavors of raisin and baking spice, makes it a cleanable complement to immoderate ingredients it whitethorn beryllium mixed with. "This VSOP. is aromatic, connected nan lighter side, but still useful good successful cocktails," says Marshall. Whether you're making a sidecar, vieux carre, aliases a Sazerac, Camus VSOP will do nan trick.
Another awesome cognac for mixing is nan Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula, which clocks successful astatine 45% ABV, a hairsbreadth higher than astir cognacs. It's still soft and balanced, pinch nan fruit, honey, and floral notes cognac drinkers expect, and it useful very good successful cocktails.
Best VS: Hennessy VS Cognac
When it comes to cognac, there's nary much recognizable vessel than Hennessy VS. "It's a classic," says Cyr. "It's nan astir iconic cognac. Everyone knows it." The explanation states that this cognac is "Very Special," but that has thing to do pinch its rarity — it really shows that Hennessy is aged for a minimum of 2 years.
Hennessy is simply a well-made and approachable cognac. The acquainted spirit notes of greenish apple, orange, and clove are bolstered by an aroma of almond and grape. It's easy to bask complete ice, neat, aliases moreover successful cognac-based cocktails.
The older relative to nan wide known VS, nan Hennessy XO deepens and refines each of nan flavors that make nan VS look specified a success. When sipping, look for flavors and aromas of fruit, baking spice, and vanilla.
Best VSOP: Frapin VSOP Cognac
VSOP stands for "Very Superior Old Pale," and location isn't overmuch retired location that's older aliases much superior than this cognac. "It's a very high-quality cognac from a very aged producing house," says Cyr. In fact, nan Frapin family has been producing cognac successful France since 1270.
"There is simply a backbone wrong nan Frapin scope which makes it cleanable for those who for illustration a leaner style of cognac," says Marshall. This Grande Champagne look has a chemoreceptor of gingerbread and hazelnut, pinch flavors of caramel, nutmeg, and raisin filling retired nan palate.
For a much affordable VSOP bottle, effort nan Planat VSOP Cognac. It is fruity, oaky, and vibrant pinch a somewhat steaming finish.
Best Napoléon: François Voyer Napoleon Cognac
In nan world of cognac, nan people refers to nan minimum property request for each eau-de-vie that goes into nan bottle. Some producers take to usage much mature cognacs than necessary. In nan lawsuit of Francois Voyer's Napoléon, nan mean property of each tube is 14-20 years aged alternatively of nan minimum 6-year requirement.
"[Francois Voyer is] different under-the-radar location worthy seeking out. It's 100% Grande Champagne, pinch a persistent finish," says Marshall. The aging process gives this vessel a deep, round, and soft spirit of hazelnut and herb that's adorned pinch an aroma of roses, cherry, and plum.
Best XO: Prunier XO Cognac
The House of Prunier is celebrated for nan cellars successful which they barrel-age their cognac. They've produced aggregate award-winning cognacs, and this Extra Old look is among their best. "They're doing thing right," says Cyr.
Aged for 15 years, Prunier XO is nan perfect after-dinner sip. It showcases a hint of vanilla and toffee connected nan nose, pinch a rich | spirit floor plan of acheronian chocolate, cream, and fig.
This vessel tin beryllium difficult to find, but we person different elevated recommendation: Remy Martin XO. Distilled from grapes of some Petit and Grande Champagne and aged to perfection, it's 1 of nan astir iconic premium cognacs for a logic — it's balanced, nutty, fruity, and floral.
How we chose nan champion cognacs
We interviewed 2 cognac experts to guideline our testing and tasting. Both modern bartender and cognac pedagogue Ms. Franky Marshall and cognac master and beverage advisor Jesse Cyr walked america done their favourite bottles. For nan ones we were fortunate capable to sample, we underwent 2 types of tests:
Sipping neat: We sampled each cognac neat, meaning without crystal aliases mixers. This allowed america to measure nan color, aroma, and spirit of each cognac successful its purest state.
Cocktails: After narrowing down our apical picks, we took nan cognacs we considered to beryllium nan champion mixers and made 2 cocktails. We mixed 1 shaken cocktail, nan sidecar, and 1 stirred cocktail, nan Sazerac. We assessed each based connected really good each cognac fresh nan broadly understood spirit floor plan of each drink, and really good nan tone worked pinch nan different ingredients.
Dylan Ettinger
Freelance Writer
Dylan is simply a freelance writer who specializes successful cocktails, spirits, and coffee. He is simply a longtime java and hospitality master who began penning full-time successful 2020. Since past he has visited distilleries successful Europe, nan Caribbean, Mexico, and passim nan United States wherever he has tasted immoderate of nan world's champion distilled spirits pinch nan group who make them. From vessel reviews and tasting notes to drinking civilization and destinations, Dylan covers each things spirits and cocktails. When not penning aliases enjoying a mai tai, he spends his free clip reference obsessively and cooking for himself and his partner.
Read more Read less
You tin acquisition logo and accolade licensing to this communicative here.
Disclosure: Written and researched by nan Insider Reviews team. We item products and services you mightiness find interesting. If you bargain them, we whitethorn get a mini stock of nan gross from nan waste from our partners. We whitethorn person products free of complaint from manufacturers to test. This does not thrust our determination arsenic to whether aliases not a merchandise is featured aliases recommended. We run independently from our advertizing team. We invited your feedback. Email america astatine reviews@businessinsider.com.
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favourite topics successful a personalized provender while you're connected nan go.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you judge our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You tin opt-out astatine immoderate clip by visiting our Preferences page aliases by clicking "unsubscribe" astatine nan bottommost of nan email.