With the price of certain in-demand Scotch whisky bottles going up the whole time, it’s worth taking a look at these 10 Cognacs for single malt lovers.
Cognac is the very word if a byword for luxury and sophistication. Drunk by hip hop stars and oligarchs, housed in lavishly packaged crystal decanters…
All true. But there’s another side. Outside the very high end, good Cognac isn’t ridiculously expensive. In fact, in some circumstances it can be ridiculously under-priced.
That’s not to say Cognac will ever be cheap but compared with the most in-demand single malt Scotch, Irish whiskeys, and bourbons, it’s starting to look like an increasingly good option.
10 Cognacs for single malt lovers
Seignette VS
Seignette is an old Cognac brand from the 19th century which was revived by the Sazerac company. This is a VS, meaning it’s at least two years old, and spotlights Cognac at its fruitiest and most jolly. It’s particularly good in long drinks like a Brandy & Soda or a Horse’s Neck, but you could also drink this neat or on ice with a twist of orange peel. See our guide to brandy cocktails for more inspiration.
Pierre Ferrand Ten Générations
Ageing Cognac in old wine casks is not a new thing in Cognac but its practice has been revived by Alexandre Gabriel, the man behind Pierre Ferrand. In this case, 20% of the spirit has been matured in casks that previously held sweet Sauternes wine. The resulting Cognac is redolent of honey, peaches, and custard with just a little spice. In fact, in its flavour profile it’s not dissimilar to Glenmorangie 12 Year Old.
A.E. Dor VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
VSOP (very special old pale) means that the Cognac is a minimum of four years old though as with other age designations in the region, many producers’ spirits are significantly older than that. This is from one of the grand old houses of the region, A.E Dor, and is made only from grapes grown in Grande and Petite Champagne, the finest sub-regions. This is in a light fragrant style that majors on stone fruit and orange blossom. It’s perfect for mixing but certainly has the complexity to be drunk on its own.
Hermitage 2010 Grande Champagne Cognac
David Baker from Hermitage has one of the best jobs in booze: sniffing out rare old Cognacs. He’s brought some astonishing brandies to Master of Malt customers over the years including some from the 19th century, but he’s equally adept at more affordable offerings like this. This vintage Grand Champagne Cognac has rich flavours of dried apricot, chocolate, orange peel, and tobacco. You will struggle to find a better aged spirit of whatever type for the money.
Camus Île de Ré Fine Island
Did you know there’s an island near La Rochelle that lies within the Cognac appellation? Camus does. Its’ Île de Ré releases celebrate this fact. And the first edition is a Cognac aged in lightly toasted casks within a damp cellar. In a review of the product, Stuart Coyne had this to say: “Fantastic, it reminds me of a single malt whisky in wick, Scotland. Old Pulteney has a very similar salty briney finish and it’s so nice to find it in a brandy from France”.
Merlet Sélection Saint-Sauvant Cognac – Assemblage No.2
A limited-edition Cognac blend, Sélection Saint Sauvant hails from the Merlet house. Assemblage No.2 was crafted by Gilles Merlet and his sons Pierre and Luc, fifth generation of Distillateurs Merlet. The blend includes a variety of vintage Cognacs from the Petit Champagne and Fins Bois regions, and was bottled in 2016. There’s some seriously big flavours here like ginger biscuits, chillies, and apricots for those who love a punchy, distinctive spirit.
Hine Bonneuil 2012
Hine has been releasing single vineyard Cognacs from Bonneiuil in Grand Champagne since the 2005 vintage and this is one of the best. It’s treated to a very gentle ageing to allow the flavours of the vintage to shine. Not too much new oak. The result is a very fruit-driven Cognac with vibrant peach flavours predominantly, subtly accented with vanilla, cinnamon, and toasted nuts. This makes a lovely accompaniment to oysters and ceviche.
Frapin Château de Fontpinot XO Cognac
Another real terroir-driven brandy. This is made entirely from ugni blanc grapes from Château de Fontpinot in the Grand Champagne region. It’s an XO, which means it spends a minimum of 10 years in wood, but as is the case for most quality producers it contains much older Cognac in the blend. This one is lively and fun with the most amazing aromatic notes like tobacco and mint.
Rémy Martin 1738
A Cognac that celebrates the Louis XV’s decision to grant a young Rémy Martin the right to plant new vines on his land (banned in France at the time) with the Accord Royal in 1738. It’s said that the Cognac was enjoyed at the King’s court at the time, with Rémy having planted his first vineyard in 1724. This unique blend has been made with majesty very much in mind. This works particularly well in a Sidecar cocktail.
Maxime Trijol VSOP GC
Rounding out our selection of 10 Cognacs for single malt lovers, Maxime Trijol’s VSOP Grande Champagne has won all kinds of awards and is a great favourite with MoM customers. It’s made exclusively with Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie – the finest cru in the Cognac region. This includes a good amount of Cognacs aged for between 10 and 20 years, and the average age is rumoured to be as much as 15 years! The result is a brandy that’s packed with fresh fruit, vanilla and nutty mature notes.
