It was a taste of 1840 A.E Dor at a hotel in Monaco that turned David Baker on to the magic of Cognac. Well, you might as well start with the best. It was the beginning of a great love affair. In 1987 he set up his own business, Hermitage Cognacs, to showcase the finest, rarest and oldest brandies that the region has to offer. Baker mainly buys from Grande Champagne, considered the finest part of Cognac, as well as Petite Champagne and Borderies. He bottles brandies from individual producers and much of what he sells is vintage.
Hermitage is based in Bath and Segonzac, the latter being in the centre of Grande Champagne. The office there handles bottling operations. All Hermitage Cognacs are aged in France and 99% are bottled there. Baker does not use sugar or caramel but very occasionally adds a little boisé, wood chips that are boiled many times and aged in Cognac often 30 or 40 years old, to help develop the original flavour of the Cognac. He also adds distilled water to balance his Cognacs by bringing down the alcohol.