Author Archives: Tom

More on Cognac

There are four, big, and readily available cognac producers sold in the USA. Those are: Martell, Courvoisier, Remy Martin, and Hennessy. And of those four I have sampled the VS and VSOP varietals. Here are my thoughts.

Martell is what I call a “swirler”. When first poured, this cognac punches you in the mouth. The aroma is so hot, it stings the nostrils. When first drank, it burns all the way down. I call it “rot gut” cognac because it does give me a bit of temporary heart burn. Of the four brands, it’s the least sweet and the hottest and most pungent. This cognac forces you to drink it slow. I have tried both the VS and VSOP varieties. The VSOP is slightly mellower than the VS. The flavor profiles between the two are quite similar, it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. My nose and palate detect what I guess I might call oak. After frequent swirling and waiting this cognac mellows appreciably making it more drinkable. The bottle of VS that I bought I did not enjoy, and practically forced myself to finish. The flask of VSOP that I have on my desk will probably sit there until I have nothing else to drink.

Courvoisier is the sweetest and thickest. I have only tried the VS, and I have bought and finished two bottles. It’s more syrupy than the other cognacs. I enjoyed a bottle warmed by the campfire and it was quite nice. I would like to try a bottle of VSOP which is $42 at my BevMo.

Remy Martin VSOP is the cognac that I have consumed the most of. This is mainly because of its $32 price at Costco. This year alone I have drunk at least 10 bottles. It is very citrusy and with a bit of pine. It’s also a bit hot and a bit of a swirler. Hints of dark chocolate and plum. Of the four brands, Remy is my most likely XO purchase this Christmas. The 1738 bottle of Remy is mellower and has more vanilla. I’m not interested in trying the VS.

Hennessy, I’m ashamed to say, is my favorite VSOP. The Privelege VSOP is sooo smooth and mellow. Not thick or syrupy. Not oaky or hot. Not a swirler. Fruity, hints of raspberry. If I wanted to introduce someone to cognac, I would offer Hennessy Privilege VSOP. The VS on the other hand, tastes peppery and hot to me. There is a drastic difference between the VS and the VSOP of Hennessy, unlike Martell VS and VSOP. I would like to buy another bottle of VS to consume and confirm my opinion. And of course, to have another bottle in my collection.

Cognacs I would like to buy and try: Camus, Hardy, Hine, Meukow, Landy.

More like Mono COLD Springs…

I first read about Mono Hot Springs and Kaiser Pass Road about two months ago. And since then I have (had) been obsessessed with the place. I read all I could find regarding the area. I planned my first (and last) trip. Last week, we set off.

Follow highway 168 out of Fresno, past Shaver and Huntington lakes. Take the turnoff for Kaiser Pass Road. The next 25 miles are pure fun (not really).

Kaiser Pass Road has some of the most beautiful and pristine high Sierra alpine scenery I’ve ever experienced. The area is stunningly gorgeous. Granite rocks, pine trees, blue skies, and trout streams everywhere.

Yum and I camped at Edison Lake, way at the top, at the end of the road. It was cold and quiet. It rained on and off most of the time so we didn’t get to see the 11,000 foot peaks surrounding us (until the next day).

We met a PCT thru-hiker named KingStreet and gave him a ride to Vermilion Valley Resort. His blog is Far From King Street. We swapped some stories and I gave him a new water filter. I really admire these guys, the thru hikers, both PCT and JMT. It’s my dream to hike the JMT one day. But until then, I’ll have to live vicariously through these guys and their blogs.

But the road…that road is terrible. It’s narrow, windy, full of pot holes and blind corners, and did I mention narrow? In most places there’s only room for one vehicle to pass. Often you will encounter a truck coming the opposite way and one of you will have to stop, back up, and let the other pass. Most of the time you’ll be driving 10 or 15 miles an hour, tops. It’s very stressful. And in the end, just not worth the drive from Manteca.

It would be different story if I lived in Fresno. Because then it would be my playground, the closest wilderness to home, and I would simply adapt to the horrible Kaiser Pass Road. But I live in Manteca, a few hours from Fresno. The distance is just too long for too little reward.

Kaiser Pass Road was sold to me as “Yosemite without the crowds”. Well, not quite. It was certainly crowded. There were way too much cars on that dangerous road. With thousand foot cliffs on either side it can be pretty terrifying to travel up there and back.

And then there’s Mono Luke-Warm Springs…

I saw pictures of people soaking in natural hot springs, surrounded by alpine vistas. I had to check this place out. I sampled a few “hot tubs” and found that they were not hot at all. Sure, the water was warmer than the San Joaquin river that flows through the area. But the hot springs were not hot. I was disappointed, and that was the last straw.

We drove to Florence Lake, which is by far the more beautiful area, and enjoyed the afternoon sunlight. It truly was a breathtaking place.

We had planned to spend three days in the area, exploring and fishing and hiking and soaking. But the drive takes so much out of you. And the area is quite crowded, which was surprising to me, considering the distance from civilization and the bad roads. So after one night we drove the 7 hours back home.

I don’t think I’ll be back to Kaiser Pass Road. Not unless I have the opportunity to backpack the nearby John Muir Trail and Evolution Valley. This is unlikely. I live way closer to Yosemite and Tioga Pass Road to ever return to Kaiser. I can be in Tuolumne Meadows or Yosemite Valley in less than three hours. Sure, the crowds are heavier in Yosemite.

But I think the time saved and the less-stressful roads are a worthy tradeoff.

Liquor

I don’t know when it happened. I think it must have been about 5 years ago–somewhere in that area. And I don’t know why it happened–it just did.

Rum is no longer my favorite liquor.

There, I said it. Whew. That was easier than I thought.

Rum and I had a long and lovely relationship. Captain Morgan Private Reserve was my go-to rum for years. And I could be counted on to bring a bottle to ever camping trip. But I’ve moved on.

I dabbled in whiskey and bourbon. I even drank some rye.

Then, two years ago, I gave up eating grains. And with it I gave up grain alcohols. So I experimented with some tequila.

And then I discovered cognac.

Ah, cognac. Sweet nectar of the gods. Lovely, beautiful, tasty cognac.

So for about the last six months I’ve been exploring cognac. There are four, major, and easily found brands in the US. Those are: Martell, Courvoisier, Hennessey, and Remy Martin. I’ve tried a number of different cognacs that I found at BevMo, but nothing outstanding and/or memorable.

Cognac seems to agree with me. It doesn’t upset my stomach the way a grain alcohol does. And cognac does not give me the wicked hangovers that rum brought me. No, cognac is a fine drink that makes me feel great.

Already this year I’ve gone on four camping trips, and for each camping trip I brought some cognac to warm by the fire, which was outstanding. One of my favorite things to do with a bottle of rum was place it in the campfire ring–a lovely warm swig of liquor makes for an excellent after-dinner drink while enjoying the great outdoors. And cognac is absolutely wonderful when enjoyed at a warmer temperature. It seems, at least to me, that cognac is the perfect campfire drink.

Remy Martin VSOP is my favorite. I can find it just about everywhere, and at a price that I can afford. Sure it costs more than twice the price of a similar bottle of rum.

But to me, it’s worth it.