The 7 best cognacs for your home bar, recommended by mixologists

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.