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Author: Bev Appleton

David on Technical Topics – The Effect of Barrels on The Ageing Process

Posted / in Brandy Education, How to make Cognac, Learning about Brandy and tagged

As the New Year rolls in the cognac distillers will be checking the ‘chais’ (cellars) and their existing stocks of cognac in barrels from previous years.  Of course there are hundreds of old cellars all over the Cognac region, each containing large quantities of barrels in a range of sizes, the most common being 350 litres.  Each barrel will have its own characteristics and will impart slightly different qualities into the cognac.

This ageing process begins annually after distillation, which must be completed by 31 March.  To provide an initial boost the newly distilled spirit is put into new oak barrels, which have been toasted to kill off the harmful tannins in the wood.  About 6 – 12 months later the cognac is transferred to old barrels where it will gradually mature. During this process the cognac reacts with some of the good tannins, such as lignins and a hemi-cellulose, which gradually dissolve forming richness, a quality we often refer to as a “Rancio”. Clearly, the more the cognac comes into contact with the wood the quicker this will happen but there are other factors which can slow or speed up the process.  Some cellar masters prefer to use barrels made from a tightly grained oak which reduces the tannin extraction by the cognac. This hard oak comes from the Tronçais forest but a wider grained oak can also be used.  It is found closer by in the Limousin forests near Angouleme.  Most cognacs are aged in Limousin barrels as the spirit penetrates the wood faster than in the Tronçais barrel.  Apart from barrel size and grain of the oak, there is another key factor which will make a substantial difference to the process – dampness of the cellar.  A water molecule is larger than a spirit molecule so the greater the outer dampness of the wood, the slower the spirit will escape through the barrel.

Cognacs from Grande Champagne may take 60 or 70 years to fully mature in the barrel so spare a thought this New Year for all those wonderful, very old cognacs hiding away in dark and damp cellars that haven’t woken up yet.  When they do, their sublime qualities will be the golden toast of the century.

Eggnog

Posted / in Cocktails and tagged

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • ¾ cup of caster sugar
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 3 cups of double cream
  • ½ cup of bourbon, ¼ cup of dark rum, ¼ cup of cognac
  • Freshly grated nutmeg for sprinkling

Method:

Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl until they become thickened and pale in colour. Then slowly beat in the sugar, followed by whisking in the milk and 2 cups of the cream. Gently mix in the bourbon, rum and cognac. Cover and place in the fridge for up to a day. When ready to serve, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold in. Then whisk the remaining cream until if forms stiff peaks and fold into the mixture. Sprinkle nutmeg on the top and serve.

Original recipe by The Cognac Expert

Christmas Cocktail

Posted / in Cocktails and tagged

Ingredients:

  • ¾ oz Cognac
  • ½ oz Grand Marnier
  • ¼ oz Campari
  • 3 ozs Champagne
  • Slice of orange

Method:

Place the Cognac, Grand Marnier and Campari in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a wine goblet, top with the Champagne and a slice of orange.

Original recipe from The Cognac Expert

Brandy Butter

Posted / in Recipes and tagged

 

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 180g butter
  • 180g soft brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 3 tablespoons cognac

Method:

Ensure that the butter is cool and firm.  Dice and cream a little. Add the sugar and cream further, but don’t over do it. Add the orange, lemon and ground almonds. Slowly add the cognac a tablespoon at a time and if you prefer, add a pinch of nutmeg,  cinnamon or the insides of a vanilla pod.  Make in advance, cover tightly and store in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for longer.

Original recipe from The Cognac Expert.

 

Christmas Punch for a Party

Posted / in Cocktails and tagged

Ingredients:

  • Two litres dark rum
  • One litre cognac of your choice (a VS or your favourite VSOP)
  • Two litres water
  • One litre lemon juice (with 1 ½ cups of sugar dissolved into it)
  • Couple of hefty slugs of peach brandy.

Chill all the ingredients in the fridge for a few hours then place in a large bowl and mix together. Serve with plenty of ice.

Original recipe by The Cognac Expert

 

Baked Ham by Martha Stewart

Posted in Recipes and tagged

Ingredients:

  •           1 (12 to 14 pound) uncooked smoked ham, bone-in
  •           1 cup dark brown sugar
  •           1/4 cup Cognac
  •           Watercress, for garnish
  •           Parsley, for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap ham completely with parchment-lined foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Transfer ham to oven and bake 1 1/2 hours.

Unwrap ham; discard parchment and foil. With a large, sharp knife score fat in a diamond pattern, making the lines about 3/4 inch apart. Transfer ham to a large roasting pan.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and Cognac. Brush ham evenly with 3/4 of the brown sugar mixture and return to oven; cook ham 1 hour. Brush ham with remaining brown sugar mixture and continue cooking 30 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter until ready to carve; garnish with watercress and parsley.

 

Christmas Puddingtini

Posted / in Cocktails and tagged

Ingredients:

  • 75ml frozen Gin
  • 10ml Cognac
  • 10ml White Creme de Cacao
  • Dash of Sambuca
  • Miniature Christmas pudding

Method: Pour all of the ingredients, except for the Sambuca, into a mixing glass with ice and stir, before straining into a chilled cocktail glass. Using either spoon or a metal cocktail stirrer, dip a mini Christmas pudding into a small liqueur glass filled with Sambuca and soak, before lighting your pudding and dropping it into the prepared cocktail.

Original recipe published by the drinks business

David on Technical Topics – How to Buy Cognac as a Gift

Posted / in Brandy Education, Learning about Brandy and tagged

“Christmas” we say with a sigh of disbelief, we have only just recovered from the last annual triumph of food and drink only to be confronted with identifying that special and very personal present for the person in our lives who means so much to us. This year, they say Christmas is for sharing, it is the 2014 theme for retailers so I thought I would share some trade thoughts with you, our unique and individual customers.

Cognac has always been a favourite of ageing fathers and grandfathers, I know, I fit the category myself, but did you know that the majority of our website customers are younger people seeking to find a present that offers a personal and individual offering of thanks or love to those near and dear to them. We recognised more than twenty years ago that customers could easily buy a bottle of highly blended VSOP or XO with all the additives necessary to make the young cognac taste reasonable.  But finding a bottle which is really special and different is a little harder and that’s where we can help.

When you’re buying cognac for someone else it’s sometimes difficult to know what style they prefer so I suggest taking a look at some of our most popular cognacs – Hermitage 2000 (toffee and mocha), Hermitage 1999 (mocha and roasted walnut), Hermitage 10 year old (fruity) and Provenance 30 (chocolate and roasted walnuts) – each one has been individually selected by me for their rich, smooth flavours and as a gift, never fails to please.  Each has been awarded a Cognac Master Medal proving that it is not just us who think they are delicious, the judges did too!  But, if you’re buying for a connoisseur, we recommend trying something more complex.  The Hermitage 43 year old is a triumph of complexity which has matured in a barrel for 43 long years and the Hermitage 1975 is another unique complexity of delicious aromas and flavours, just a little stronger than the minimum of 40%. These too make really special, thoughtful gifts for the cognac lover.

But if Christmas is for sharing this year, how about the Raymond Ragnaud Vieille Reserve Cognac presented with two tulip glasses, ideal for sharing with that special person?  And for those with differing tastes, I have something to share with you.  Pineau des Charentes is made from cognac and grape juice and aged in much the same way as cognac.  At 17% abv it’s the perfect aperitif and its sweet, rich flavour will go with your Christmas pudding wonderfully.  So to help you share this Christmas we are offering a bottle of Chateau de Beaulon 5 y.o. Pineau with 25% discount, with every bottle of Hermitage Cognac you buy.

Cheers and Happy Christmas.

Sour Lemon Cake with Cognac Glaze by Martha Stewart

Posted / in Recipes and tagged

Ingredients:

For the Cake:  1 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups sieved plain flour,  1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 large eggs, 2 tsps. baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup milk, zest of 2 lemons.  For the Glaze:  1/3 cup Cognac, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar.  For Decorating: 24 Candied Lemon Slices, Candied Kumquats

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour two 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest.

4. Place 2 3/4 cups batter in each prepared cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly in pans; invert cake onto a wire rack.

5.  Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, mix together Cognac, lemon juice, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Brush glaze over cake and let cool completely. Serve with candied lemon slices and kumquats.

Sending Christmas Gifts to America

Posted in News and tagged

We know how popular brandy is in North America by the number of Americans who visit our site. Last year the value of cognac sales to the USA grew by over 5% whilst in some countries, cognac imports fell. Particularly popular are our vintages where the year of distillation is printed on the label. They make unique and thoughtful gifts to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays.

As you ponder over presents for your American friends this Christmas, try adding some of our cognacs and armagnacs to your list – no one will be disappointed. It takes just 7 days to deliver to the USA* – but don’t hang about, all of our cognacs and armagnacs with age statements are in limited supply.

* Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for those States which prohibit the importing of alcohol.