Tag Archives: cognac

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.

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.

Potpourri

So I’m applying for jobs in Denver. My company has a big tech presence in that area, and I’ll have lots of opportunities to grow and move up in the organization. I’m excited about the possibilities.

I’ve been wanting to escape from the People’s Republik of Kaliforniastan for a really long time. Finally, I’m fed up with this state enough to really take serious steps towards employment in another state.

I’ve been exploring the wonders of grapes lately. I like wine but I can’t really get into it. Port and brandy and cognac on the other hand…

I think my favorite cognac so far is Remy Martin VSOP. Hennessey is good, but I don’t think I’ll be buying it again.

I’ve only just scratched the surface of ports. Right now there is a bottle of 10 year old Graham’s tawny on my desk. Delicious.

Been spending less time on FaceBook and more time on Google+ lately. My entire online presence is mostly on Google’s services, so I’ve been migrating in the direction of Google+. Tired of the ongoing invasions of privacy with FaceBook–G+ seems to play nicer. So look for me on Google+

It’s late January and the weather has been nice lately with sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s. My thoughts are consumed by fly fishing. Season opens in just 3 months. I’ve got my fancy new Tilley Hat ready. I just need to pick up some felt-bottom wading shoes and I’m set!

It’s been ten years since I quit smoking and I still get cravings, several times a week. It’s still hard to resist. Sigh.

I still don’t want a BlackBerry mobile phone.

Started new shift this month. I’m still on a 4×10 schedule. I get off work at 11:30pm and my days off are Monday Tuesday Wednesday. Yes, I have three days off in a row every week. It’s glorious. I never want to go back to working 5 days a week ever again.

“Liberty and justice for all” means EVERYONE–even people you don’t like or agree with.