by Michael Cervin | Mar 15, 2023 | Cognac
Proper Cognac, according to everyone you meet in Cognac including all master distillers, is a sublime blend of four components: wood, spice, floral, and fruit. This XO fills all these requirements, and is everything you want in a Cognac. The spiciness of pepper is... 
by Michael Cervin | Feb 6, 2023 | Cognac
We tend to think of Cognac as being an age-old spirit, distilled for hundreds of years in the village of Cognac costing hundreds of dollars. There are some 230 Cognac producers in France, and the majority are small producers whom you’ve never heard of. So when a new... 
by Rich Cook | Oct 10, 2022 | Cognac
VSOP Cognac must be aged at least four years in French oak prior to release, which seems to be a sweet spot for me – it’s a fine balance spirit that gets has elements of both VS (brightness) and XO (richness). The Tycoon touts luxury on the bottle and... 
by Michael Cervin | Jul 6, 2022 | Cognac
Sweet caramel, butterscotch, honeysuckle and browned butter lead off in the nose. A rich, deeper, almost almond sugar note takes over on the palate, which is both compelling and direct as this is not a subtle Cognac. There is lemon citrus, resin, mandarin orange,... 
by Michael Cervin | Jun 23, 2022 | Cognac
The Frapin family has been in the Cognac region since the late 1200s. Currently they control 240 hectares of vine planted in “crumbly chalk.” Each decision is made, “by the nose,” master distiller Patrice Piveteau told me when I visited. “I don’t like Cognac or... by Rich Cook | Apr 18, 2022 | Cognac, Uncategorized
So much pleasure is derived by the aromatics in fine Cognac that sipping it can seem almost anti-climactic. This bottle, the fourth from this producer to grace our pages, delivers the goods on the nose before even raising it close. Orange peel, nut,...
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