The Brandy Bottle – Exshaw No 1

The firm was founded in 1805 and cognacs were shipped to Britain and India. In those days there was no Suez Canal and the cognacs were transported by camels across hundreds of miles of desert. They must have liked the cognac, since the name is still used today although the cognacs have changed rather a lot.  The firm has had a famous history but its most recent owners, Otard have decided to use a remarkably similar tasting cognac as their own and another sold in the Far East called Chateau de la Grange in the bottles. Pressure on the availability of older cognacs has led to a blending crisis with the result that average ages of this, and many others of a similar ilk, has decreased considerably.

It would be a reasonable description if we said the cognac was a bit sticky, we are being kind with that! Our score 4/10