Cognac Fans, information and reviews

Cognac Fans going to Cannes and Cognac with Louis XIII

Wouter — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:44:06 +0000

As one of the biggest Cognac information sources in the business, Cognac Fans have been invited to the Cannes Film Festival by Rémy Martin Louis XIII. Rémy Martin is official sponsor of Cannes. Following up to Cannes we will have an exclusive visit to Louis XIII’s Maison in Cognac.

Cognac Fans will keep you in touch with the latest Cognac news by blogging, Facebook and Twitter (#LouisXIIICannes) about this experience from May 22-26 — with great food, drinks, parties, hotels, movies and much more.

In Cannes we are staying at the luxury 5-star design hotel: The Five Hotel & Spa — In Cognac we will stay in the Heritage Hotel. We are looking forward to this event!

Below a press-article about an conversation in Cannes we will attend.

Some information about the EAST MEETS WEST” CONVERSATION:

LOUIS XIII® Cognac, the world’s most esteemed spirit from the House of Rémy Martin®, official supplier of the Cannes Film Festival, created an exciting partnership last year with The Film Foundation, the leading non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation founded by Martin Scorsese.
“Much like the time, finesse and care it takes to create a rare, luxurious spirit such as LOUIS XIII, so does film preservation. Film is at the heart of the American and French Cultures and both film and cognac require a high degree of talent and craftsmanship to create excellence.” said Augustin Depardon, LOUIS XIII Global Brand Director.

Filmmakers and LOUIS XIII are known for their shared purpose of creating works of great artistry and lasting heritage. If they both strive for excellence, aware that excellence alone will stand the test of time, they also share a visionary spirit. To The Film Foundation and LOUIS XIII, preserving the past is acting for the future. The partnership between The Film Foundation and LOUIS XIII helps reaffirm the role of cinema as a bridge between different generations and different cultures. No matter what nationality a filmmaker or how personal their story, a great film will be universally understood.
On May 23rd during the 65th Cannes Film Festival, a unique one-hour conversation titled “East Meets West”, will take place at the Majestic Beach with American director and Academy Award® winner Alexander Payne, member of the Board of The Film Foundation, and one of the most acclaimed and honored Hong Kong directors, Stanley Kwan.

Coming from different horizons, these two world-renowned filmmakers will share their thoughts on cinema, discuss their journey and answer questions.
To highlight the quality in LOUIS XIII, that inspires creativity, Stanley Kwan will bring his own “touch” to the “East Meets West” conversation by revealing in avant-premiere his new directorial webisode, featuring Zhuang Yong, a Chinese freestyle gold-medal winner at the Barcelona Olympic Games.
Following the Conversation, guests will be invited to share a LOUIS XIII Experience.

Your Cognac: Prunier Extra Galleon – Ship Carafe

Wouter — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:49:55 +0000

We received some pictures from a reader of the Prunier Extra Galleon / Galion. The carafe is stunning, with the looks of an sailing ship.

The quality inside should be one of the best, according to the “Extra” in the name. The Extra-quality is XO+.

Do you also want to know more about an old or rare Cognac bottle, its value, or would like to sell it? Submit your bottle!

Name of bottle: Galleon Extra

Written on labels: Cognac GALION EXTRA Maison Produit de France 700ml 40% alc./vol Embouteillé et expédié PRUNIER S.A.Cognac, France

Story: The owner found this bottle in the warehouse of a compulsive buyer.

Your Cognac: Martin & Co 15 years old

Wouter — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:30:55 +0000

From a reader we received pictures of an in straw packet bottle named Martin & Co 15 years old. Personally we aren’t sure if this bottle is an Cognac or a Cognac Liqueur.

Also the brand isn’t known by us. Does is have anything to do with Rémy Martin?

Hopefully someone else knows more about this bottle…

Name of bottle: Martin & co Cognac

Written on labels: produce of france, lion sitting next to a barrell that says M & C”, 15 years old stamp, the case says 1937

Story: Bought the bottle from a friend its wrapped in straw and its a case full stating 1937. Im wanting to know the value of my case/bottle

The seller is open to discuss selling this bottle, so please submit you interest below so we can bring the buyers and seller together!

Do you also want to know more about an old or rare Cognac bottle, its value, or would like to sell it? Submit your Cognac bottle!

Your Cognac: old 5 Star Hine Cognac

Wouter — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:16:57 +0000

Today we received some pictures from a reader who has an very old bottle of Hine 5-star Cognac. This is the predecessor of the modern Hine VSOP and imported by 21 Brands Inc, New York.

Do you also want to know more about an old or rare Cognac bottle, its value, or would like to sell it? Submit your bottle!

Name of bottle: Hine Cognac T. Hine & Co.

Written on labels: Hine Cognac, Distilled and Bottled by T. Hine & Co. Established 1763 Imported by “21″ Brands, Inc 84 proof ”This product was accompanied when imported by an “acquit Regional Jaune d’ Or” issued by the French Goverment, indicating that this grape brandy was distilled in the Cognac Region of France.

Story: The readers husband was left the bottle from his grandfather.

The Hine bottle is for sale, and the reader would like to know more about its value and background.

Kosher Cognac – Complete list of Kosher Cognacs

Wouter — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:39:07 +0000

Kosher Cognac is grape liquor produced according to Judaism’s religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws (kashrut).
To become considered as kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher. Cognac or wine that is described as “kosher for Passover” must have been kept free from contact with grain, bread and dough.

We browsed the internet to find out the Cognacs which are kosher certified, see the list below!

Kosher Cognacs:

Dupuy Cognac VSOP
Dupuy Cognac XO
Godet Kosher Cognac XO Excellence
Godet Kosher Cognac XO Extra Old
Louis Royer Cognac VS
Louis Royer Cognac VSOP
Louis Royer Cognac XO
Montaigne Cognac VS
Montaigne Cognac Napoleon

All foods, wines, alcohol and beverages that are kosher certified are marked with the symbol OU, and for those that are okay to have during Passover are marked OU-P.

Kosher Cognac should not come into contact with animal products. Any agitation with a non-kosher product should be avoided during the production. Only the supervising rabbi and Jewish laborers are allowed to touch the wine/grapes or Cognac from the moment the grape-skin breaks.

The vines should not be fertilized, at least not with animal manure, and the vineyard must lie fallow every seventh year. Then should not be harvested. The grape variety is not important for the rules.

A tenth of the wine in ancient times had given away to the Temple in Jerusalem. Now one bottle in a hundred bottles should be given away as a reminder of that obligation.

With input of our readers and information from the business we try to keep the list of Kosher Cognacs as up-to-date as possible. If you have any thoughts or information on this subject, please let us know!

De Luze VS – Cognac Review

Wouter — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:24:54 +0000

The De Luze VS is a real VS Cognac, you taste and smell it is less complex than the acclaimed Alfred De Luze with 43% alcohol. The taste burns a little more, despite the 3% less alcohol.

Yet this De Luze is a very pleasant VS Cognac. The taste is in fact very comfortable with a general flavor which I also observed in the Alfred De Luze and De Luze VSOP. Well done so!

The review notes of this De Luze VS Cognac are:

The color: gold Mahony.
The nose: very fresh and fruity of vanilla and citrus-fruit fragrance combined with some oakiness. Also something alcohol in the nose
The taste: soft and beautiful in the mouth, a little burn in the throat, also slightly more watery than Alfred. The observed flavors are: oak, citrus and coffee.
The after-taste: fairly long for a VS Cognac.
The origin: Fins Bois.
The age: at least 2.5 years.
The price: 18 euros in the Netherlands.
The price / quality ratio: a 8+. Delicious matured VS Cognac, which I definitely will buy again.

Mastering the production process of premium cognacs from the vine to the glass, owner of the largest and most premium vineyard in the
world, distiller specialised in premium cognacs, dedication and passion going back to 1640, respect of tradition and longer ageing which brings out the best of Cognac …

A brand that does not master its distillation is a brand which can not guarantee its quality. The Boinauds have understood this for generations and at De Luze, only un-filtered wines are distilled for our Fine Champagne cognac range.

This clear and precise point of difference ensures a richer, smoother and thicker texture which is vector of flavour and aromas. The Boinauds have built a 41-pot still distillery : 39 small 25HL pot stills and two others, even smaller with a capacity of 13HL for even smaller batch distillation.

The Boinauds have always been hard working, vineyard owners and distillers.In 1940, the current chapter of the family history began when Michel Boinaud set to work on developing a greater production and distillation capacity for his father Charles after the 1939/1940 war.

In olde-Charentais, Bois-naud means homme du bois (man of the forest). The address today is Le Bois d’Angeac,(Angeac Forest) and records trace the family back to 1640 already at this current address.1640, Louis XIII is on the throne of France, year of the creation of the famous gold medallion, the Louis d’Or. Knowing the origin of their name however we can safely say, the Boinauds have been here since the forest… and since the invention of Cognac! Jean Boisnaud’s family were certainly already at Le Bois d’Angeac when in 1619, just a few kilometres down the road, a certain Chevalier de la Croix Marron invented the ‘second distillation’ of the cognac eaux-de-vie thus defining cognac as we know it today.

D’USSÉ VSOP – Jay-Z Cognac

Wouter — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:37:55 +0000

A few month’s ago we wrote an article about Bacardi-emporium, who wanted to sell huge volumes of Cognac in the USA. Our first thought was the Baron Otard brand, Bacardi’s Cognac Brand in Europe,which wasn’t being sold in the USA.
Well, our thoughts were wrong, Bacardi did a major introduction of an completely new brand, called D’usse (pronounced “dew-say”), which is marketed in direct competition with the big-4 Cognac makers: Hennessy, Martell, Courvoisier and Rémy Martin.

As if Jay-Z didn’t already have enough on his plate (music, clothing, electronics, fatherhood), he’s throwing cognac connoisseur under his list of titles. During a private event in New York City Wednesday night, Mr. Carter helped Bacardi introduce their newest drink D’usse.

Back to the Cognac, the D’ussé is positioned in the VSOP segment and uses a mixture of different Cognac Cru’s. It is quite likely that a D’ussé VS and D’ussé XO are following soon, that’s the only way for Bacardi to challenge the big-4.

D’Usse VSOP will sell for $44.99 for a 750-ml bottle.

P.s. This new brand is also being named as Henri Dussé Cognac.

For Sale: Louis XIII from 1963

Wouter — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:53:51 +0000

Tom owns a bottle of Louis XIII Cognac, one of the most excellent Cognacs available, and is willing to sell the bottle!

This unopened bottle comes from 1963, and has the original box. The offered box and bottle are quite a rarity as we not regularly see these types. Especially the box is stunning with it’s design and fabric!

Name of bottle: Remy Martin Grande Champagne Louis XIII

General information about bottle: The highest quality Rémy Martin Cognac on the market today, Louis XIII de Remy Martin has been carefully tended by three generations of Remy Martin cellar masters. The result is a magical combination of savoir-faire, art and patience. Louis XIII de Remy Martin uses only grapes from the Grande Champagne region which guarantees its unique, exclusive quality.

Written on labels: Grande Champagne, Louis XIII Brand, 4/5 Quart Rarest Reserve, 80 Proof Cognac, 364731904 Renfield Importers Ltd Union NJ, Made in France by Baccarat

Story: The bottle was given to Tom’s father-in-law as a wedding gift in 1963. It has the original box and all original contents. Bottle has not been opened.

If you are interested, please send Tom (taborgeson@gmail.com) an e-mail with your offer.

Berry Bros – Grande Champagne des Héritiers 1904

Wouter — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:51:48 +0000

A reader sends us images of an Berry Bros. and Rudd vintage Cognac from 1904. Berry Bros shipped the Cognac in 1967 to England and bottled it in 1977. Makes it 74 years of storage in an oak barrel. This Cognac is described by connoisseurs as Late Landed Vintage Cognac.

Bottles labelled Vintage Cognac are aged inland in Jarnac, where dry conditions and fluctuating temperatures (6°C in winter to around 22°C in summer) mean the spirit is subject to evaporation and oxidation, which help accentuate the rich, complex, woody character of the Cognac.

Meanwhile, the landed Cognacs are aged in the UK , in the case of a brand like Hine, in the chalk cellars of Bristol, where a steady temperature (8°C to 12°C) and high humidity (rarely below 95%) means much smaller volume loss. This makes for a more delicate, refined Cognac, giving light floral and fruity aromas and delicate hints of wood.

Name of bottle: Berry Bros. and Rudd Grande Champagne des Héritiers 1904 Naturel

Written on labels: 68° under proof. Brandy is a spirit distilled from wine. Cognac is Brandy produced from the Charente district in France. This district is divided into several classes i.e. Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and Bons Bois. No Brandy is entitled to be described as ‘Grande Champagne’ unless it is actually the product of that small and very distinct area [coloured red on map]. The Brandy in this bottle is Grande Champagne of the finest quality and of great age. 24fl. oz

Story: This bottle is a part of the owners collection, he would like to know more about it and it’s value.

The seller is open to discuss selling this bottle, so please submit you interest below so we can bring the buyers and seller together!

Do you also want to know more about an old or rare Cognac bottle, its value, or would like to sell it? Submit your Cognac bottle!

Your bottle: Hennessy Bras D’Or Golden Barrel

Wouter — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:23:41 +0000

Today we received an awesome Hennessy Bras D’Or Golden Barrel bottle! We searched and we searched but couldn’t find anything about it… Who could help the owner with the age and an possible valuation of this golden barrel?

Do you also want to know more about an old or rare Cognac bottle, its value, or would like to sell it? Submit your bottle!

Name of bottle: Hennessy Bras D’Or
Story: The owner bought this barrel last week from his aunt. It has been in her basement for years.
Quality: Qualité Napoléon : Also called “Bras d’Or”. In this one, eaux-de-vie used are younger than those used in X.O.

Our reader would consider to sell, please comment below if you are interested or want to buy. If you have information about this Cognac – such as cru, age or similar, please let us know below.

P.s. Also on the Cognac Forum an Hennessy Bras D’Or Golden Barrel was posted….