Six weeks. That is all that stood between this cask and its 32nd birthday. But at Little Brown Dog, they did not wait — some casks have nothing to gain from holding back any longer, only something to lose.

Expert's Description

Little Brown Dog Petit Chien Brun 31 Year Old is a French Brandy, Single Cask, distilled in 1993 and bottled at 50.8%.

The spirit was distilled on 30 November 1993 and laid down in cask that same day in France. The cask was later moved to Scotland, where it was bottled by the independent bottler Little Brown Dog Spirits on 17 October 2025 — just six weeks short of reaching 32 years in cask. Because bottling took place outside France, the bottle cannot carry the name Cognac, even though it is distilled and matured exactly as a Grande Champagne Cognac would be.

This release is a sister cask to Little Brown Dog's earlier Early Landed Late Bottled series of vintage French brandies, in which the spirit is distilled and matured in France before being moved to Scotland for the final stage of ageing. Only 210 bottles have been drawn from this single cask, in natural colour, with no added caramel colouring and no chill filtration.

Little Brown Dog Spirits is an independent bottler and micro-distillery based in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, founded in 2018 by Dr Andrew Smith and Chris Reid. The French distillery the spirit originally came from has not been disclosed.

In the glass, the brandy shows a dark, fruit-forward colour that many describe as reminiscent of the well-known British drink Vimto — deep and inviting to look at.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers blackcurrant juice, prune juice and dried heather — dark and fruity from the very first sniff.

Palate

The palate unfolds classic French notes: Pruneaux d'Agen, the celebrated French prunes, wild strawberry jam and marrons glacés, all carried on a silky, mature texture.

Finish

The finish leaves dark chocolate-coated cherries that linger long on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Little Brown Dog Petit Chien Brun 31 Year Old
Bottler: Little Brown Dog Spirits
Country: France
Type: French Brandy, Single Cask
Age: 1993/2025
ABV: 50.8%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Enjoy in a nosing glass at room temperature, ideally in a quiet moment with time to explore the aromas.

Flavour Profile

Dark fruit · Chocolate · Heather · Full texture

Investment Potential

Rating: Medium. Releases like this one, with a very small outturn from a single cask and a solid age, typically attract strong interest from collectors of French oak-aged spirits. As bottles become harder to find, rare single cask releases from respected independent bottlers like this are often seen trading at a marked premium over their original release price on the secondary market.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the label pays tribute to the two earlier releases in the same series? The French racing blue from the first release is combined with the Fleur-de-Lis motif from the second — a visual nod to France, where this brandy was originally distilled, and to the old Auld Alliance between Scotland and France.

Monte Carlo, 1912. At the Hôtel de Paris, Edouard Martell presented a new Cognac to the city's elite, named and designed with a nod to the coveted prize for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic. Cordon Bleu was born, and more than a century on it still stands as one of Martell's most celebrated names.

Expert's Description

Martell Cordon Bleu XO is a French Cognac classified Cordon Bleu, bottled at 40%.

Cordon Bleu was created in 1912 by Edouard Martell, great-grandson of house founder Jean Martell, and launched at the legendary Hôtel de Paris in Monaco. In Martell's own hierarchy, Cordon Bleu sits between VSOP and XO, though it is marketed today alongside the house's XO editions due to its depth and maturity. It was also the first Cognac the house launched after the phylloxera crisis had devastated large parts of France's vineyards, and it is regarded as one of the earliest exclusive Cognacs aimed at a broader international market.

The blend combines eaux-de-vie from both Grande Champagne and Borderies, where the finesse and ageing potential of Grande Champagne meet the characteristic softness and floral aroma of Borderies, a signature of Martell since 1715.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak that Martell favours for its slow, gentle release of flavour during the extended ageing.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich and mature, with dried fruit, a touch of honey and a light floral undertone that hints at the long cask maturation.

Palate

Soft and rounded, with notes of apricot and walnut, spiced with a hint of vanilla and a touch of oak.

Finish

Long and elegant, where the dried fruit returns alongside a warm, woody sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Martell Cordon Bleu XO
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820000382
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed neat in a Cognac glass at room temperature, ideally to round off a good dinner.

Flavour Profile

Dried fruit · Honey · Vanilla · Elegant

Did You Know?

The name and bottle design reference the Blue Riband, the prestigious award for the fastest transatlantic crossing, as a tribute to the Martell family's maritime roots and trade routes across the Atlantic.

In Cognac, where the Charente river winds through chalky soil, the Martell family has been distilling since 1715. It is the oldest of the great Cognac houses, and the VS edition is where most people first meet the house style: young, fresh and built on the same blend that has carried the name for more than 300 years.

Expert's Description

Martell VS Single Distillery is a French Cognac classified VS, bottled at 40%.

Martell was founded in 1715 by Jean Martell and is the oldest of the great Cognac houses. From the start, the house has made the Borderies cru its signature, a small, distinctive area near the town of Cognac that gives its eaux-de-vie a softness and a floral aroma rarely found elsewhere. The VS edition is built on the same blend of eaux-de-vie the founder created, aged on average 5 to 7 years in cask.

The designation VS, Very Special, is Cognac's youngest legal classification, and Martell's version is intended as an accessible, versatile Cognac that works equally well neat, on ice or in a cocktail. The high share of Borderies adds complexity without sacrificing drinkability.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak that Martell traditionally favours, because it releases its character slowly and gently into the spirit during ageing.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and spicy, with citrus, ripe pear and a touch of saffron, framed by soft, resinous notes and a hint of incense.

Palate

Wood and spice notes come together in harmony with a pleasant freshness and a velvety texture.

Finish

The finish is medium in length and lightly spiced, with a clean, dry close shaped by the fine Tronçais oak.

Specifications

Name: Martell VS Single Distillery
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820000078
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat, on ice or as the base of classic Cognac cocktails.

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Floral · Spiced · Light

Did You Know?

Martell's VS classification was originally called Three Star and marked with three stars on the label, a name the house used for more than 150 years before it was changed to VS.

The longer a Cognac is allowed to rest in cask, the deeper its colour and character become. In Martell XO, the deep copper glow is visible proof of years of patient ageing, where the finesse of Grande Champagne has slowly woven itself into the house's classic Borderies style.

Expert's Description

Martell XO is a French Cognac classified XO, bottled at 40%.

Martell was founded in 1715 by Jean Martell and has since made the Borderies cru its trademark, alongside a softness and floral character rarely found elsewhere in the region. In the XO edition, Borderies is joined by eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne, whose chalky soil provides the extra finesse and ageing potential a Cognac of this age requires.

The XO classification is one of Cognac's oldest designations and signals that the spirit has drawn influence from substantial cask maturation. It is precisely this long ageing that gives Martell XO its deep, golden copper colour and its layered, complex character.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak Martell has favoured for generations, as it allows the eaux-de-vie to mature slowly without being dominated by the wood.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma opens with dried fruit and honey, gradually giving way to sweeter fruit notes and a touch of spice.

Palate

Full and round, with layers of honey, dried apricot and a warm, woody spiciness reminiscent of sandalwood.

Finish

Long and complex, where the finesse of Grande Champagne keeps the flavour alive well after the Cognac has been swallowed.

Specifications

Name: Martell XO
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820006186
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed neat in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature.

Flavour Profile

Dried fruit · Honey · Spice · Sandalwood

Did You Know?

The XO designation has historically guaranteed a minimum of 6.5 years of cask ageing, making it one of the oldest official classifications in the Cognac region's rulebook.

In Saint-Martial-sur-Né, at the heart of Grande Champagne's chalky soil, the Trijol family has been distilling since 1859. Dry Collection Batch 01 is the house's take on a dry, uncompromising Cognac style, bottled in a run so limited that every bottle feels like a small piece of this family history.

Expert's Description

Maxime Trijol Dry Collection Batch 01 Very Old is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, classified Very Old and bottled at 43%.

The house of Maxime Trijol was founded in 1859, when the Trijol family settled in Saint-Martial-sur-Né at the heart of Grande Champagne, the cru regarded as Cognac's finest. The family were originally winegrowers, but over time expanded into independent distillation, and the house is run today by the sixth generation. For production, Maxime Trijol relies on 22 copper stills of 2,500 litres each.

The chalky soil of Grande Champagne gives eaux-de-vie exceptional finesse and an unusually strong ageing potential, exactly the qualities the Dry Collection range is built to highlight. Batch 01 is the first release in the series and comes in a limited run of only 770 bottles.

The Very Old classification sits at the mature end of Cognac's age scale, and the name Dry Collection reflects the house's ambition for a dry, less sweet style, where the oak's spice and the fruit's concentration stand out more clearly.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry and elegant, with dried apricot, a hint of tobacco leaf and a lightly spiced undertone from the oak.

Palate

Taut and finely woven, with nuts, a touch of toasted wood and a concentrated fruitiness that never turns cloyingly sweet.

Finish

Long, dry and spiced, with a lingering mineral finish that reflects Grande Champagne's chalky soil.

Specifications

Name: Maxime Trijol Dry Collection Batch 01 Very Old
Distillery: Maxime Trijol
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3544680022527
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed neat in a Cognac glass at room temperature, where the dry, complex notes are shown to best effect.

Flavour Profile

Dry · Elegant · Spiced · Nutty

Did You Know?

Dry Collection Batch 01 was released in a run of just 770 bottles, distilled on the house's 22 copper stills, each holding 2,500 litres.

There are bottles you open on an ordinary Tuesday, and there are bottles you save for the right occasion. Metaxa 12 Stars belongs to the latter – the house's deepest, most complex expression, kept back for the evenings that deserve a little more.

Expert's Description

Metaxa 12 Stars is a Greek brandy built on aged grape eaux-de-vie and sweet muscat wines, bottled at 40%.

12 Stars sits at the top of Metaxa's star hierarchy and carries the largest share of older eaux-de-vie in the entire range. The base recipe remains the same one Spyros Metaxas put together in Piraeus in 1888: grape eaux-de-vie from several varieties, aged muscat wines from Samos and Lemnos, and a secret mix of Mediterranean botanicals.

Where 5 and 7 Stars are made for everyday moments and gatherings, 12 Stars is traditionally the bottle Greeks bring out at holidays and family celebrations – a gesture that the occasion deserves the house's most concentrated expression.

After Spyros Metaxas died in 1909, his wife Despina carried the company forward until their sons could take over, and today the house is owned by French group Rémy Cointreau. The recipe and the long ageing behind 12 Stars, however, remain unchanged.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Deep and complex, with dried fig, dark chocolate and a warm, almost resinous spice base.

Palate

Full and silky, with toasted walnut, brown sugar and a hint of orange marmalade tying it all together.

Finish

Long and warm, closing on a dry, lightly bitter trail of dark spice.

Specifications

Name: Metaxa 12 Stars
Distillery: Metaxa
Country: Greece
Type: Greek Brandy
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5202795150280
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat, ideally in a rounded glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Dried Fig · Dark Chocolate · Walnut · Spice

Did You Know?

12 Stars sits closest to the concentrated original style Spyros Metaxas himself favoured – in Greece it is still considered the natural bottle to bring to family celebrations and holidays, where it is often poured neat after the meal.

Dusk settles over the port of Piraeus, where the scent of roasted nuts and ripe grapes drifts through the tavernas, and the glass on the counter rarely stays empty for long. Metaxa 5 Stars is the bottle reached for first when the evening begins – light, golden, and carrying a trace of Mediterranean warmth.

Expert's Description

Metaxa 5 Stars is a Greek brandy built on aged grape eaux-de-vie and sweet muscat wines, bottled at 38%.

Strictly speaking, Metaxa is not a pure brandy but the house's own invention: a blend of grape eaux-de-vie distilled from grapes including Savatiano, Sultana and black Corinth, combined with aged, sweet muscat wines from the islands of Samos and Lemnos and a secret mix of Mediterranean botanicals. The recipe dates back to 1888, when Spyros Metaxas founded his house in the port city of Piraeus, and the herbal blend remains a closely guarded secret to this day.

5 Stars sits at the entry point of Metaxa's star hierarchy and carries the youngest share of eaux-de-vie in the range. The stars do not signal age the way a vintage year would – instead they indicate how large a proportion of older distillate goes into the blend, and the more stars, the deeper and rounder the character becomes.

Today Metaxa is part of the French spirits house Rémy Cointreau, though production still takes place in Greece, where distillate and muscat wine are brought together following the same base recipe as more than a century ago.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh grapes and a touch of honey meet a hint of orange peel and light spice – inviting and light rather than heavy.

Palate

Soft and round, with ripe grapes, caramelised sugar and a faint herbal note that adds depth without taking over.

Finish

Short to medium, mildly sweet, closing with a gentle spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Metaxa 5 Stars
Distillery: Metaxa
Country: Greece
Type: Greek Brandy
ABV: 38%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5202795120054
Serving suggestion: Enjoy over ice or as the base of a light long drink

Flavour Profile

Grape Eau-de-Vie · Honey · Orange Peel · Light Spice

Did You Know?

The stars on a Metaxa label do not mark years of ageing the way whisky age statements do – they instead show the share of older eaux-de-vie in the final blend, a system Spyros Metaxas himself introduced so the house could control style without being tied to a single vintage year.

A dark amphora rests heavy in the hand, as though pulled straight from an ancient shipwreck in the Aegean Sea. Behind the glass waits Metaxa 7 Stars, deeper and rounder than its younger sibling, ready to tell its own part of the story from the port of Piraeus.

Expert's Description

Metaxa 7 Stars is a Greek brandy built on aged grape eaux-de-vie and sweet muscat wines, bottled at 40%.

Like the rest of the family, 7 Stars is not a pure brandy but a blend of grape eaux-de-vie made from grapes including Savatiano and Sultana, aged muscat wines from Samos and Lemnos, and a secret herbal mix – a recipe Spyros Metaxas developed in Piraeus in 1888 and one the house still follows today.

The iconic amphora design many associate with this particular bottle was created by Greek designer Yiannis Tseklenis and draws on the ancient clay vessels once used to carry wine and oil across the Mediterranean. The shape has become one of the most recognisable features of the entire Metaxa family.

With seven stars, the bottle sits in the middle of the house hierarchy and carries a larger share of older eaux-de-vie than 5 Stars, giving it a rounder, fuller character without losing the freshness the house is known for.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried apricot and raisin meet a warm caramel note and a hint of muscat – fuller than the younger expression.

Palate

Round and soft, with dark honey, toasted almonds and a gentle spiced warmth that spreads slowly.

Finish

Medium length, with a dry, lightly spiced finish and a last trace of muscat.

Specifications

Name: Metaxa 7 Stars
Distillery: Metaxa
Country: Greece
Type: Greek Brandy
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5202795130022
Serving suggestion: Enjoy at room temperature or over ice

Flavour Profile

Dried Fruit · Caramel · Almond · Muscat

Did You Know?

The signature amphora bottle Metaxa 7 Stars is poured from was designed by acclaimed Greek fashion designer Yiannis Tseklenis and takes its shape directly from the clay vessels ancient Greeks used to carry wine across the sea.

On the back label sits a small hand-coloured map of the Cognac region, split into its six districts, and a signature that looks like something a grandfather would have signed under an old promissory note. It is the kind of bottle that still carries a faint scent of another era the moment you pick it up.

The Expert's Description

Monnet Grande Fine Cognac V.S.O.P. is a French Cognac matured in Limousin oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The house of Monnet was founded in 1838 by a group of winegrowers in the Cognac region, and the Monnet name arrived in 1897, when Jean-Gabriel Monnet took charge and chose a golden salamander as his emblem – the creature said, in legend, to survive the flames, much like a cognac's heart cut survives the heat of distillation. This bottle's label still carries that salamander alongside the words "Fondée 1838".

What makes this particular bottle interesting is the German importer's name printed on the back label: Weinbrennerei Scharlachberg of Bingen am Rhein. In 1960, Scharlachberg bought a majority stake in J.G. Monnet, and this bottle dates from the period when the German distillery brought Monnet's cognac to the German market under the words "Französisches Erzeugnis". Labels like this went out of production long ago, making the bottle as much a piece of trading history as a cognac.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Spiced vanilla and dried fruit, with a hint of leather and a touch of honey behind it.

Palate

Rich and rounded, with nougat, toasted nuts and a warm sweetness reminiscent of caramelised sugar.

Finish

Long and soft, with a dry, oaky finish and a last trace of honey.

Specifications

Name: Monnet Grande Fine Cognac V.S.O.P.
Distillery: J.G. Monnet & Co.
Region/Country: Cognac, France
Type: French Cognac VSOP
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Limousin oak casks, France

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Fruity · Round · Oaky · Honeyed

Did You Know?

The salamander on the label is no accident. King Francis I of France, born in the town of Cognac in 1494, used a fire-breathing salamander as his own personal emblem, and Monnet borrowed the symbol when the house chose its emblem in 1838.

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Some bottles have already lived a whole life before anyone opens them. This is one of those – dark green glass, a black label worn thin by decades of dust and handling, and a "Napoleon" that has almost faded away completely. It's the kind of bottle you find at the back of a cabinet and just know means something.

The Expert's Description

Napoleon Carte Noire V.S.O.P. First Class Brandy is a Brandy in the classic V.S.O.P. quality tier, marked with the Napoleon designation on the label.

V.S.O.P. stands for Very Superior Old Pale and is one of the oldest quality classifications in the brandy world, originally introduced to separate the better brandies from younger, rougher spirits. The Napoleon designation sits somewhere between V.S.O.P. and X.O. on the quality ladder and is traditionally used for brandy that has spent a little longer in cask than the V.S.O.P. requirement calls for. The name is a nod to Napoleon Bonaparte, who was reportedly fond of a good brandy, and it has since become one of the most widely used quality terms on bottles of this kind across Europe.

The bottle's dark green glass and black label with looping script are typical of brandy bottles from the middle of the last century, when dark, understated labels were a status symbol in their own right rather than flashy gold print. Over time, the lettering on this particular bottle has faded so much that large parts of the text can no longer be read – which in itself says something about how long it has been sitting somewhere.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Without an opened bottle and verified sources we can't guarantee the exact aromas – but V.S.O.P. brandy of this type typically offers dried fruit, caramel and a touch of vanilla from cask ageing.

Palate

Expect a round, gently sweet palate with notes of raisin and lightly toasted wood, characteristic of Napoleon-graded brandy.

Finish

Soft and warming, with a dry, wood-toned finish.

Specifications

Name: Napoleon Carte Noire V.S.O.P. First Class Brandy
Type: Brandy
Size: 100 CL
Serving suggestion: Serve at room temperature in a brandy or cognac glass, ideally with a few drops of water to open up the aromas

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Wood-aged · Round

Did You Know?

The Napoleon designation on a brandy bottle isn't a legally regulated age statement the way V.S.O.P. or X.O. are – it's an unofficial quality term producers have used since the 1800s to signal a slightly older, finer brandy than standard V.S.O.P.

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There's something irresistible about a bottle that has lost its name. The gold capsule is scratched and weathered by decades, the glass is dark green and almost opaque, and only a small crest bearing a French fleur-de-lis and the word Napoleon hints at what's hiding inside.

Expert description

These bottles are Napoleon Cognac from an unknown French cognac house, with the original label lost somewhere along the way. Napoleon is an officially recognised quality designation within cognac, requiring a minimum of six years' cask ageing, so the term actually tells us something concrete about the contents even though the sender remains anonymous.

The capsule's design, with its laurel wreath and fleur-de-lis, points to a classic, traditional cognac house of the kind that has existed for generations in the region around Cognac in France. Without a label, neither the ABV, the cask type nor the exact house behind the bottle can be confirmed, but that mystery is part of what makes the bottle so compelling to the curious collector.

Specifications

Name: Unidentified Napoleon Cognac Collector's Bottle
Region/Country: France, Cognac
Type: Napoleon Cognac
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Double distilled
Serving suggestion: Best served at room temperature in a rounded cognac glass or tulip glass

These bottles are sold as collector's items, so we cannot guarantee the quality of what's inside the glass. The capsule and glass carry visible signs of wear such as scratches and scuffs, and the bottles are generally in low condition, as also shown in the photos.

Did you know?

Did you know the Napoleon designation is said to have started as a marketing story from the French cognac house Courvoisier, which claimed to have supplied cognac to Emperor Napoleon himself during his exile? Today the term is officially protected and requires a minimum of six years' cask ageing, regardless of which house uses it.

In the sun-warmed bodegas of southern Spain, rows of ageing oak casks have shaped the character of Spanish brandy for generations. Napoleon VSOP Prestige stands in that tradition, dark as caramelised sugar, with a richness that hints at real time spent in wood.

Expert's Description

Napoleon VSOP Prestige is a Spanish brandy classified as VSOP, bottled as a Vintage edition at 38%.

The bottle belongs to the Spanish brandy tradition, where eaux-de-vie is matured through the Solera system – a network of linked cask rows in which younger distillate is gradually blended with older vintages each time spirit is drawn from the bottom casks. The method is especially associated with the brandy houses of the Jerez region in Andalusia, where it was historically refined alongside sherry production, and it remains one of the most defining features of Spanish brandy as a category.

The VSOP classification requires a minimum period of ageing, giving the brandy time to draw colour, tannin and rounded flavour from the oak. This particular bottling is released as a limited Vintage edition, setting it apart from the house's ongoing production.

The result is a dark, round brandy in which the Solera system's blending of vintages creates an even depth – a style found across much of classic Spanish brandy regardless of house.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Caramelised sugar, dried apricot and a light woody note of old oak.

Palate

Round and full, with raisin, walnut and a hint of vanilla from the cask.

Finish

Medium length, dry and lightly spiced, closing on a warm, woody note.

Specifications

Name: Napoleon VSOP Prestige
Distillery: Del Maresme
Country: Spain
Type: Spanish Brandy
ABV: 38%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat at room temperature or over ice

Flavour Profile

Caramel · Dried Fruit · Walnut · Oak

Did You Know?

The word Solera comes from the Spanish suelo, meaning ground or floor – a reference to the fact that the oldest casks in the system always sit at the bottom row, closest to the ground.

Around Etriac in the Petite Champagne, the Philbert family works the same soil that has shaped their grapes for generations. In the cellar, though, one cask breaks the pattern: an old Sauternes cask from Bordeaux, once home to a sweet white wine, now lending this Cognac a golden, exotic undertone.

Expert's Description

Philbert Sauternes 2012/2018 Rare Cask Finish 7 Years Single Estate French Cognac is a Cognac from the Petite Champagne, finished in used Sauternes casks and bottled at 41.5%.

The bottle comes from Philbert, a Cognac house run by brothers Xavier and Pierre-Olivier Philbert, whose family has grown grapes in the Charente since 1808. Xavier tends the fields around Etriac in the Petite Champagne, while his brother works from Touzac in the Grande Champagne — two addresses, one shared belief that the soil should speak through the distillate. This bottling is single estate, drawn only from the Etriac property, with no blending from other vineyards.

Philbert was the first house in the region to seriously experiment with rare cask finishes in used Oloroso sherry and Sauternes casks, and this release is one result of that work. The Cognac was distilled in 2012 and later rested in one named cask, #172-02, receiving its final finish in refill Sauternes casks alongside new French oak.

Only 550 bottles of this release exist, and the Cognac is unfiltered at low temperature, so everything the cask gave it — the sweet, fruity traces of Sauternes — stays intact in the glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose opens with ripe apricot and a touch of honey, quickly followed by warm toasted oak and a hint of the sweet white wine the cask once held.

Palate

On the palate it is round and full, with exotic fruit, caramelised sugar and a light spiced warmth that carries the flavour forward without turning heavy.

Finish

The finish is long and silky, with a lingering sweetness from the Sauternes cask and a final trace of toasted wood.

Specifications

Name: Philbert Sauternes 2012/2018 Rare Cask Finish 7 Years Single Estate French Cognac
Distillery: Philbert
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Single Estate
Age: 7 Years
ABV: 41.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sauternes casks and new French oak
EAN no.: 3367589000065
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass, ideally after a meal, when the sweet and exotic notes can fully unfold.

Flavour Profile

Apricot · Honey · Toasted Oak · Exotic Sweetness

Did You Know?

Did you know this Cognac comes from a single named cask, #172-02, and that only 550 bottles of this exact Sauternes finish exist in the world?

Ten generations is a long time to hold onto the same land. The families behind Pierre Ferrand have grown vines and distilled cognac in the heart of Grande Champagne long before any of them could have guessed their knowledge would one day be gathered into a single bottle called 10 Generations.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations 1er Cru de Cognac is a Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 44%.

The name refers directly to the long line of winegrowers and distillers whose experience the house draws on, a legacy stretching from the eighteenth century to today, where Alexandre Gabriel has run production from Château de Bonbonnet since 1989. The 1er Cru de Cognac designation guarantees that the grapes come exclusively from Grande Champagne, the most celebrated of Cognac's districts.

10 Generations is meant as a bottle that gathers this legacy into a single, approachable expression, where maturity and craftsmanship weigh heavier than a stated vintage or age declaration.

The bottle suits anyone who wants a cognac with roots deep in history, without it needing to sit on a pedestal to be enjoyed.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma offers ripe fruit and a light sweetness of vanilla, supported by a hint of spice from the oak.

Palate

On the palate the cognac is round and warm, with fruit and vanilla leading and a dry, oaky structure giving it edge.

Finish

The finish is mild and lingering, where spice and lightly toasted oak remain longest on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations 1er Cru de Cognac
Distillery: Pierre Ferrand, Château de Bonbonnet, Grande Champagne
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 44%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 3460410533463
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally to close a meal

Flavour Profile

Ripe Fruit · Vanilla · Oak · Spice

Did You Know?

Pierre Ferrand is co-owner of Domaine du Logis d'Angeac, a vineyard in Grande Champagne whose history can be traced back to 1776, long before the house itself took its name.

Before a cask ever touches cognac, it is met by fire. The cooper controls the flame by eye and experience, because the toasting level of the oak decides how much spice, toasted character and intensity the cask will later give to whatever ages inside it.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations 1er Cru de Cognac is a Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 46%.

This bottling of 10 Generations is composed at a slightly higher strength than its 44% sister, leaving room for a more pronounced cask influence in the flavour. Toasting the oak, a technique where the cooper heats the inside of the cask over open flame, largely determines how much spice and how dark the tones the cognac picks up during ageing.

The 1er Cru de Cognac designation guarantees that the grapes come exclusively from Grande Champagne, the most celebrated of Cognac's six districts, and the name 10 Generations points to the long line of winegrowers and distillers whose experience still shapes the house's style today.

The result is a cognac that is a touch more powerful and spiced than its 44% sister, without losing the round, approachable character that defines the range.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma is spiced with notes of toasted oak and a dark sweetness reminiscent of caramel, supported by dried fruit.

Palate

The palate is warm and full, with a clear spice character and a dry, toasted oak note that carries more tension than the younger profile.

Finish

The finish is long and warm, where caramel and toasted oak remain longest on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations 1er Cru de Cognac
Distillery: Pierre Ferrand, Château de Bonbonnet, Grande Champagne
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 46%
Size: 50 CL
EAN no.: 346410530714
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally to close a meal

Flavour Profile

Spice · Toasted Oak · Dried Fruit · Caramel

Did You Know?

The toasting level of a cognac cask decides much of the flavour: a light toast preserves fresh wood and spice notes, while a heavier toast draws out darker tones such as cocoa and coffee in the finished cognac.

A well-preserved bottle from 1840, labelled Pinet-Castillon Cognac, surfaced one day and was opened by people whose trade is understanding how cocktails tasted when they were first invented. What they found in the glass was a cognac so different from today's that Pierre Ferrand set out to recreate it.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula 1er Cru de Cognac is a Cognac from Grande Champagne and Ugni Blanc grapes, bottled at 45%.

The bottle was created together with cocktail historian David Wondrich, known for tracing classic cocktail recipes back to their origins. The starting point was that rare 1840 bottle, whose style differs sharply from modern cognac: less sweetness, more spice and a dryness that lends itself brilliantly to mixing rather than being enjoyed neat alone.

Pierre Ferrand, which runs its production from Château de Bonbonnet in Grande Champagne, the chalkiest and most celebrated of Cognac's districts, has used the formula to recreate a style that was common among cognac houses around the 1800s, long before modern blending techniques and sweeter profiles became the norm.

The result is a cognac equally at home in a Sidecar, a Julep or a Sazerac as it is in a glass on its own.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Orange peel and white flowers open the aroma, joined by a touch of allspice and cinnamon that gives a spiced, almost historic character.

Palate

The palate is warm and full, with acacia honey and ripe pears, while a hint of mint adds a fresh, almost herbal edge.

Finish

The finish is dry and spiced, where the honey's sweetness gives way to a light bitterness of orange peel that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand 1840 Formula 1er Cru de Cognac
Distillery: Pierre Ferrand, Château de Bonbonnet, Grande Champagne
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3460410528827
Serving suggestion: Well suited to classic cocktails such as Sidecar, Julep and Sazerac, or neat at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Orange Peel · White Flowers · Acacia Honey · Pears

Did You Know?

The cognac made before the vine louse phylloxera devastated France's vineyards in the late 1800s had a markedly different character than today's - less sweet and more spiced - and it is precisely this pre-phylloxera style that 1840 Formula sets out to recreate.

The chalky soil of Grande Champagne produces grapes that ripen slowly and keep an acidity the rest of the Cognac region rarely matches. It is this soil, and nothing else, that underpins Pierre Ferrand Ambre.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand Ambre 1er Cru de Cognac is a Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 40%.

The cognac is distilled exclusively from grapes grown in Grande Champagne, the smallest and chalkiest of Cognac's six districts, and therefore carries the 1er Cru de Cognac designation. Ferrand uses both Ugni Blanc and Colombard in the blend, a combination that adds complexity and a floral character not always found in more standardised cognacs.

The style reaches back toward the character older Premier Cru cognacs once had, when pear and plum notes were more prominent, before modern blending techniques made profiles more uniform across houses.

The cognac has rested in casks of Quercus Sessiliflora, an oak species known for imparting vanilla and a deep, golden colour, which explains the name Ambre.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma offers ripe pear and plum, supported by floral tones and a light sweetness of vanilla from the cask.

Palate

The palate follows the nose closely, with juicy pear and plum, while the vanilla adds round, sweet edges to the whole.

Finish

The finish is soft and lingering, where the fruit slowly gives way to a warm, vanilla-tinged aftertaste.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand Ambre 1er Cru de Cognac
Distillery: Pierre Ferrand, Château de Bonbonnet, Grande Champagne
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Quercus Sessiliflora oak casks
EAN no.: 3460410505071
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally neat

Flavour Profile

Pear · Plum · Vanilla · Floral

Did You Know?

Quercus Sessiliflora, also known as sessile oak, is one of only two oak species traditionally used for Cognac casks, and its tight grain gives a different, gentler tannin than the more common Quercus Robur.

The name curaçao traces back to the Caribbean island where bitter laraha oranges once grew wild and became a trading commodity for sailors and distillers. France embraced the style and made it its own, and in this small 35 cl bottle that whole history is gathered into a format easy to take home and experiment with.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Triple Sec is a French Liqueur on a cognac base, bottled at 40% in a 35 cl bottle.

The liqueur follows the same recipe as the house's 70 cl bottling, where bitter and sweet orange peel is distilled together with cognac and a neutral spirit in three passes, a technique that gives the name triple sec and ensures a dry, clean citrus character rather than overwhelming sweetness.

The smaller format makes the bottle well suited to trying the style out without committing to a full bottle, and suits a home bar just getting started as well as an experienced enthusiast who wants an extra bottle for travel.

The Pierre Ferrand cognac base gives the liqueur a warmth and depth that sets it apart from liqueurs built on neutral spirit alone.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma offers orange blossom and candied orange peel, with an underlying wood note reminiscent of classic cognac.

Palate

The palate shifts from candied orange up front to hazelnut and bitter almonds, with a light marzipan-like sweetness in the middle.

Finish

The finish is dry and nutty, where bitter almonds and a last trace of orange peel remain longest.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Triple Sec
Producer: Maison Ferrand
Country: France
Type: French Liqueur
ABV: 40%
Size: 35 CL
Serving suggestion: Well suited to Margarita, Cosmopolitan and Sidecar, or for trying the style in a smaller format

Flavour Profile

Candied Orange · Hazelnut · Bitter Almonds · Marzipan

Did You Know?

The name curaçao traces back to the Caribbean island of the same name, where bitter laraha oranges, a degenerated variety of the sweet orange, were dried and used to flavour liqueur as early as the 1600s, long before the style became a fixture of the French spirits repertoire.

The sun beats down on Barbados, and the air carries the scent of toasted orange peel and warm molasses. At Stade's old rum distillery, Maison Ferrand went looking for inspiration in 19th-century Caribbean kitchens and came back with a liqueur rooted in the nearly forgotten tradition of shrubb.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical is a French Liqueur brewed from Barbados rum and bottled at 40%.

The bottle is the newest addition to Maison Ferrand's Dry Curaçao range, alongside the classic Original and the more exotic Yuzu Late Harvest. While those two build on a cognac base, Tropical takes a different route: master blender Alexandre Gabriel worked with spirits historian David Wondrich to dig up the almost-forgotten Caribbean shrubb tradition — a drink made from rum, citrus peels, sugar and local spices such as cinnamon and clove.

Production takes place at Stade's West Indies Rum Distillery, a distillery with around 130 years of history on Barbados. Laraha orange peels are infused and slowly distilled, while a separate botanical infusion of vanilla, spices and orange is prepared on a rum base. Everything is then blended with both pot still and column still rums, aged between two and five years, before the liqueur is bottled at 40%.

Tropical launched in January 2026 and has so far only reached the European market.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe pineapple meets toasted orange peel, a hint of vanilla and a light floral note that signals the tropical direction the liqueur takes.

Palate

Soft and full-bodied, with layers of pineapple, mango and passion fruit woven together with bitter orange and fresh citrus. The sweetness is clear but never heavy.

Finish

Long and warm, with a citrus-fresh close and an elegant bitter bite from the orange peel that keeps the liqueur from turning cloying.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Tropical
Distillery: Maison Ferrand
Country: Barbados
Type: French Liqueur
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3460410528858
Serving suggestion: Excellent in tiki cocktails, Mai Tais and Sidecars, or neat over ice for a more dessert-like pour.

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Citrus · Spiced · Tropical

Did You Know?

Tropical is the first release in the Ferrand Dry Curaçao range built on rum rather than cognac — and the only one distilled on Barbados rather than in France's Cognac region.

A decanter like this is never cast in a hurry. It is shaped, cut and polished until it is just as worthy of the table as the cognac it will one day hold - Pierre Ferrand Selection Des Anges, now in a bottle built to last.

Expert's Description

Pierre Ferrand Selection Des Anges Carafe 1er Cru de Cognac is a Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 41.8% and presented in a hand-finished decanter.

The cognac inside is the same blend that gave the house's Selection Des Anges its name, a reference to la part des anges, the portion of cognac that seeps out through the oak in the cellars at Angeac year after year. Pierre Ferrand, rooted at Château de Bonbonnet and drawing on ten generations of winegrowing in Grande Champagne, chose to give this particular bottling a vessel that matches the weight of what is inside.

Where the standard bottle sits at 40%, the decanter is filled at a slightly higher 41.8%, giving a touch more intensity in the glass. The decanter itself is meant as a collector's piece in its own right, with a heavy base and a faceted body that catches the light as the cognac is poured.

The bottle arrives in a gift box and suits the moments that call for something more than a standard label.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma opens with spiced saffron and ginger, beneath which sits a layer of sweet walnuts in syrup and a calm undercurrent of cedar wood.

Palate

The palate is full and slightly more forceful than the standard bottling, with saffron and ginger leading, supported by walnut sweetness and a dry, woody core.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spiced, with cedar wood lingering longest and leaving a dry, elegant dryness on the palate.

Specifications

Name: Pierre Ferrand Selection Des Anges Carafe 1er Cru de Cognac
Distillery: Pierre Ferrand, Château de Bonbonnet, Grande Champagne
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 41.8%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3460410531179
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally poured straight from the decanter

Flavour Profile

Ginger · Saffron · Cedar Wood · Walnuts in Syrup

Did You Know?

The decanter is bottled at 41.8%, slightly higher than the standard Selection Des Anges bottle at 40%, a small difference that gives the decanter's contents a touch more power in the glass.

The name Accord Royal carries a sense of something sealed with a handshake, an agreement fit for a royal court. In the glass there is nothing formal about it, only plum marmalade, toffee and the scent of fresh bread unfolding calmly, a Cognac that knows exactly what it is.

Expert's Description

Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal is a French Cognac of the Fine Champagne category, bottled at 40%.

The blend consists of at least 60% eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne, the rest from the neighbouring Petite Champagne, a higher share of Grande Champagne than the Fine Champagne designation requires as a minimum. The grapes, mainly Ugni Blanc supplemented by Folle Blanche and Colombard, grow in the same chalky soil that has made the region famous for generations.

Remy Martin was founded in 1724 in the town of Cognac, and the house has held to a simple philosophy ever since: only Fine Champagne Cognac leaves its cellars, whether the bottle is its most accessible or its rarest.

1738 Accord Royal is built for everyday small celebrations, a Cognac with enough body to reward attention, without the weight that demands a special occasion.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is generous and full, with plum and fig marmalade leading, backed by toffee and the scent of toasted bread.

Palate

The palate is soft like creamy caramel, spiced with baked spice and a hint of dark chocolate underneath.

Finish

The finish is medium-length and warm, where caramel and a faint trace of chocolate are the last things to remain.

Specifications

Name: Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal French Cognac
Distillery: Remy Martin
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Fine Champagne
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3024480010233
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, letting the caramel and spice aromas open up.

Flavour Profile

Plum Marmalade · Toffee · Baked Spice · Dark Chocolate

Did You Know?

Did you know that 1738 Accord Royal contains at least 60% eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne, ten percentage points above the legal minimum for the Fine Champagne designation?

Five centilitres is enough to get acquainted, without committing to a full bottle. Inside the small bottle sits the same plum marmalade and toffee found in its bigger sibling, just packed down to pocket size.

Expert's Description

Remy Martin Miniature 1738 Accord Royal is a French Cognac of the Fine Champagne category, bottled at 40% in a 5 CL bottle.

The miniature holds exactly the same liquid as the full-size Accord Royal bottle: a blend of at least 60% eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne and the rest from Petite Champagne, all from Remy Martin, the house that has brewed exclusively Fine Champagne Cognac since 1724.

The format makes it well suited for tasting your way in, bringing along on travels, or lining up alongside other miniatures for a small tasting at home. Nothing about the experience is diluted, only the quantity differs.

Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard from the chalky soil of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne give it the same round, creamy character as the full-size bottle, just in a dose that is easy to share or enjoy alone.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Plum and fig marmalade appear alongside toffee and a hint of toasted bread, just as in the full-size bottle.

Palate

Creamy caramel and baked spice fill the mouth, with a touch of dark chocolate showing up toward the end.

Finish

The finish is short but warm, with caramel as the lasting impression.

Specifications

Name: Remy Martin Miniature 1738 Accord Royal French Cognac
Distillery: Remy Martin
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Fine Champagne
ABV: 40%
Size: 5 CL
EAN no.: 3024480001781
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a small cognac glass, ideal for a quick tasting.

Flavour Profile

Plum Marmalade · Toffee · Caramel · Toasted Bread

Did You Know?

Did you know that miniature bottles were originally developed for use on aeroplanes and in hotels, but have since grown into an entire branch of spirits collecting, with enthusiasts worldwide chasing small-format editions of major cognac houses like Remy Martin?

Somewhere in the world right now, a Remy Martin VSOP is being poured. It happens more often than most would guess, since this is the VSOP most people reach for when the glass calls for copper-toned Cognac and the scent of vanilla and red roses.

Expert's Description

Remy Martin VSOP Red Label is a French VSOP Cognac of the Fine Champagne category, bottled at 40%, with an average age of around 8 years.

The blend is composed of at least 60% eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne, the rest from Petite Champagne, using grapes mainly Ugni Blanc supplemented by Folle Blanche and Colombard from the house's chalky soils.

Remy Martin was founded in 1724 and has held ever since to using only Fine Champagne Cognac across its range. VSOP Red Label is the bottle through which most people meet the house, and it is often used as a benchmark when professionals assess other VSOP cognacs against one another.

The colour is dark copper with a golden sheen, a sign of the time the liquid has spent in Limousin oak casks, where the soft vanilla and nutty notes are drawn from.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers vanilla, nuts, violets and roses, with a fine hint of liquorice and spiced Limousin oak underneath.

Palate

The palate is fruity with apricot and peach leading, softly rounded off by sweet vanilla.

Finish

The finish is medium-length and classically balanced, where vanilla and a hint of nuts are the last things to remain.

Specifications

Name: Remy Martin VSOP Red Label French Cognac
Distillery: Remy Martin
Country: France
Type: French VSOP Cognac, Fine Champagne
Age: Around 8 years average
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3024482270109
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass, or as the base of a classic cognac cocktail.

Flavour Profile

Vanilla · Apricot · Violet · Limousin Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know that roughly one in three bottles of VSOP Cognac sold worldwide is a Remy Martin? That makes VSOP Red Label the world's best-selling VSOP and a regular fixture in professional cognac tastings.

Somewhere beneath Cognac, more than three hundred different distillates rest side by side, each carrying its own age and its own story, until the cellar master gathers them into a single bottle. Ripe fig, candied orange and fresh-baked bread meet here in a mahogany-toned glass, heavy with decades of patience.

Expert's Description

Remy Martin XO Excellence is a French Cognac of the Fine Champagne category, bottled at 40%. Behind the label sits a blend of more than three hundred different eaux-de-vie, each aged between 17 and 37 years, gathered by the house's cellar master into one coherent experience.

Remy Martin was founded in 1724 in the town of Cognac and remains the only major Cognac house that uses exclusively Fine Champagne Cognac across its range, a self-imposed standard stricter than the law technically requires.

Fine Champagne is a protected designation within Cognac and has nothing to do with the sparkling wine from the Champagne region further north. The name comes from an old French term for open plain, and it covers a blend of eaux-de-vie from the two finest growth areas, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, with a minimum of half coming from Grande Champagne. The chalky limestone soil of these two areas gives the grapes, typically Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, a finesse the rest of the Cognac region struggles to match.

In XO Excellence, the long ageing shows clearly. The colour is a light mahogany with amber hues, and every glass carries a distillate where decades of cask ageing have left their mark without ever letting the fruit disappear beneath the wood.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers ripe figs, candied orange and juicy plums, spiced with a touch of ginger and the scent of freshly baked bread straight from the oven.

Palate

The palate is complex yet soft, layering ripe fruit, warm spice and a calm note of oak that ties everything together without ever taking over.

Finish

The finish is long and warm, where spice and lightly toasted wood linger while the fruit slowly fades.

Specifications

Name: Remy Martin XO Excellence French Cognac
Distillery: Remy Martin
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Fine Champagne
Age: Between 17 and 37 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3024480004522
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass or tulip-shaped glass, ideally given a little time to breathe so the aromas can fully unfold.

Flavour Profile

Fig · Candied Orange · Ginger · Spiced Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know that more than 300 different eaux-de-vie go into this single bottle? Remy Martin's cellar master spends years finding the right composition before a batch of XO Excellence is ready to be bottled.

Some Cognac is made to sit with alone, and some is made to share with a cup of coffee. Renault Avec was built for the latter: a Cognac whose cask has been steamed and roasted over open fire until its mocha and vanilla notes are strong enough to meet coffee's bitterness without losing ground.

Expert's Description

Renault Avec French Cognac is a Cognac from the house of Renault, bottled at 40%.

The name Avec, French for "together with", tells you exactly what the bottle is made for: a Cognac designed to be taken alongside a cup of coffee after a meal, a tradition still very much alive in many French homes. To get there, Renault developed a distinctive cask technique in which the oak is first submerged in water and then roasted over an open brasero fire, not once, but three times.

The repeated roasting draws out mocha and vanilla character in the wood that ordinary cask ageing does not, and the result is a Cognac with a softness and roundness built to sit beside an espresso without being drowned out.

The house behind the bottle, Renault, was founded in 1835 in the town of Cognac by Jean-Antonin Renault and was known early on as an innovator, bottling in glass rather than the traditional casks and exporting to Scandinavia as early as 1855.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Roasted mocha, sweet vanilla and a light smoky trace from the triple brasero-roasted casks.

Palate

Round and soft, with coffee bean, caramel and a warm, faintly sweet echo of toasted wood.

Finish

Mild and gentle, with vanilla and a touch of dark chocolate that lingers on the palate well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Renault Avec French Cognac
Distillery: Renault
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Triple brasero-roasted oak casks
EAN no.: 6412703100279
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed alongside a cup of strong coffee after a meal, as tradition dictates, or on its own in a small Cognac glass.

Flavour Profile

Mocha · Vanilla · Caramel · Toasted Wood

Did You Know?

Did you know the casks for Renault Avec are submerged in water and then roasted over open brasero fire three separate times, a technique developed specifically to draw out mocha and vanilla character so the Cognac can hold its own against coffee?

In the wider story of Cognac, the Russian imperial court played a surprisingly large role: from the nineteenth century onward, the Tsar's household imported large quantities of Cognac from the Charente, and several old houses began using the word Imperial as a mark of quality. Renault Imperial XO Carte d'Argent carries that same note of grandeur, a Cognac conceived as something beyond the house's standard XO.

Expert's Description

Renault Imperial XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac is an XO Imperial Cognac from the house of Renault, bottled at 40%.

The Imperial designation has historically been used by several major Cognac houses to mark a Cognac above the standard level, a legacy of the nineteenth century's substantial exports to the Russian imperial court and other European royal houses, where Cognac was a highly sought-after luxury. At Renault, Imperial XO Carte d'Argent is a further development of the house's classic Carte d'Argent style, carrying even more time and body.

The house of Renault was founded in 1835 by Jean-Antonin Renault in the town of Cognac and was known for breaking with tradition, both by bottling in glass and by exporting early to Scandinavia from 1855.

The result is an old Cognac with plenty of body and fullness, where the Imperial name signals the house's take on a grander version of the classic Carte d'Argent style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Broad and rich, with honey-roasted almond, old leather binding and a sweet, ripe fruitiness.

Palate

Full and silky, with caramelised sugar, dried raisins and a warm spiciness that spreads slowly.

Finish

Long and round, with a final trace of honey and toasted oak.

Specifications

Name: Renault Imperial XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac
Distillery: Renault
Country: France
Type: French XO Imperial Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature, as a quiet close to the evening.

Flavour Profile

Honey-Roasted Almond · Dried Raisins · Caramel · Toasted Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know several old Cognac houses have historically used the term Imperial as a nod to the nineteenth century's substantial Cognac exports to the Russian imperial court and other European royal houses, where the term signalled a Cognac of particular standing?

A silver mark on the label, a bottle that sits heavy in the hand, and an aroma that explains why XO Cognac was once reserved for the patient. Renault's Carte d'Argent carries its name on its own silver scale, the house's signal for a Cognac with the fullness and calm that only decades of oak can give.

Expert's Description

Renault XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac is an XO Cognac from the house of Renault, bottled at 40%.

Renault was founded in 1835 by Jean-Antonin Renault in the town of Cognac, then just 25 years old but already carrying generations of Charentais merchant trade in his blood. Renault was an innovator from the start: while competitors shipped their Cognac in wooden casks, Renault was among the first to bottle it in glass, and by 1855 the house's Cognac was already sailing to Scandinavia.

Carte d'Argent, the silver mark, is the house's name for a classic XO style, an old Cognac with the fullness and rounded depth that only decades of cask ageing can produce. It is built to be sat with, not rushed through.

In the glass it shows plenty of body, with age visible in both colour and texture, yet never turning heavy or dull.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Deep and round, with dried figs, old leather and a trace of vanilla from years spent in oak.

Palate

Full and soft, with toasted nuts, dark chocolate and a warm, ripe fruitiness that spreads slowly across the tongue.

Finish

Long and warm, with a final touch of spiced oak that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Renault XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac
Distillery: Renault
Country: France
Type: French XO Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature, on its own or to round off a good meal.

Flavour Profile

Dried Fig · Toasted Nuts · Dark Chocolate · Spiced Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know the name Carte d'Argent, the silver card, comes from an era when Cognac houses used coloured labels as an internal system to signal style and age, long before XO became a fixed, regulated category in the region?

Where Carte d'Argent speaks in silver and calm, Carte Noire speaks darker and deeper. The bottle carrying the black mark was created at the end of the nineteenth century as Renault's answer to how complex an old Cognac can become when the years are truly allowed to work.

Expert's Description

Renault XO Carte Noire Extra Old French Cognac is an XO Cognac from the house of Renault, bottled at 40%.

Carte Noire, the black mark, is one of Renault's oldest and best-known bottles, developed as far back as the end of the nineteenth century, when the house was firmly establishing itself as an innovator in the Cognac trade. Where Carte d'Argent represents the house's classic XO style, Carte Noire pushes a step further into complexity and depth.

The house itself was founded in 1835 by Jean-Antonin Renault in the town of Cognac and was known early on for breaking with tradition, bottling in glass and exporting to Scandinavia as early as 1855.

The Extra Old designation underlines that age is the whole point here: long years in oak have given it a layered character that shows through in both aroma and palate, without ever turning sharp or rough.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Deep and layered, with dried apricot, old leather binding and a trace of smoked oak.

Palate

Complex and full, with layers of dried herbs, dark caramel and a hint of tobacco that unfolds slowly.

Finish

Long and drying toward the end, with a final wave of spiced wood and a touch of dark chocolate.

Specifications

Name: Renault XO Carte Noire Extra Old French Cognac
Distillery: Renault
Country: France
Type: French XO Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 6412703100040
Serving suggestion: Best in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature, ideally with time to let the complexity unfold.

Flavour Profile

Dried Apricot · Dried Herbs · Dark Caramel · Tobacco

Did You Know?

Did you know the Carte Noire bottle was developed by Renault as far back as the end of the nineteenth century, making it one of the house's oldest labels still in production?

While Grande Champagne often gets all the attention, Fins Bois holds another side of the Cognac district – rounder, faster maturing, but with plenty of room for a house like Roullet to let time finish the rest of the work.

Expert's Description

Roullet XO Royal Appellation Fins Bois Contrôlée is a French Cognac from Fins Bois, bottled at 40%.

Roullet holds more than 140 hectares of its own vineyards in Fins Bois, the zone that surrounds the district's two finest crus, and the house has farmed this land since 1772. Fins Bois yields a rounder, less acidic base wine than Grande Champagne, which in turn matures faster – a trait well suited to long XO ageing.

XO requires at least 10 years of ageing under current AOC rules, but this Royal bottling rests a minimum of 15 years in oak casks, gradually taking on colour and depth from the wood.

The result is a rich, golden-copper cognac with amber highlights, where the melted tannins have had time to become fully rounded, and where the long ageing gives a fullness reaching well beyond the minimum requirement for XO.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and dried fruit sit over notes of nuts, almond and a touch of dried apricot.

Palate

Full-bodied and rounded, with melted tannins carrying a sweetness of caramelised fruit and lightly toasted wood.

Finish

Long and warm, with a final trace of orange peel that ties the dried fruit notes together.

Specifications

Name: Roullet XO Royal Appellation Fins Bois Contrôlée
Distillery: Roullet
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak
EAN no.: 3760089070024
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass as a digestif

Flavour Profile

Vanilla · Dried fruit · Nuts · Caramel

Did You Know?

Fins Bois is the largest of the six cru areas in the Cognac district and literally surrounds both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne like an outer ring around the town of Cognac.

In Saint-Preuil, in the heart of Grande Champagne, the Bouju family has grown its own grapes and distilled its own cognac since 1805. This sample is an invitation to meet one of the smaller, more stubbornly artisanal cognac houses in the district.

Expert's Description

Sample 3 cl Daniel Bouju VSOP is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 40%.

The house was founded by Pierre Chauvin and his wife Jeanne in 1805, shortly after they settled in Saint-Preuil with only a few hectares of land and vines. Seven generations later, Daniel Bouju remains a true grower-producer – a house that distils only grapes from its own 30 hectares, unlike the large merchant houses that buy in from hundreds of growers.

The cognac is distilled exclusively from Ugni Blanc and aged in Limousin oak, and the house uses neither colouring nor boisé to adjust colour or flavour – what is in the glass comes from the grape, the soil and the cask alone.

The bottle's distinctive carafe shape holds a VSOP that has rested at least 4 years in cask, presenting a calm, grounded expression of Grande Champagne's finesse.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Flowers and fresh grapes, with a light vanilla tone from the young Limousin oak.

Palate

Soft and direct, with notes of white fruit and a fine acidity that speaks of the unaltered Ugni Blanc base wine.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly spiced.

Specifications

Name: Daniel Bouju VSOP Carafe
Distillery: Daniel Bouju
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 3 CL
Cask type: Limousin oak
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature as a small tasting sample

Flavour Profile

Flowers · White fruit · Vanilla · Light acidity

Did You Know?

Daniel Bouju is one of the few cognac houses still calling itself a grower-producer, meaning every drop comes from the house's own 30 hectares in Grande Champagne without any purchased distillate.