Category: Brandy Education

Hermitage Paradis Cognac offers a rare glimpse into the artistry and heritage of one of the finest spirits ever created. Produced from the most treasured reserves, often stored for decades, Paradis refers to the oldest and most prestigious cognac in a house’s cellar. For collectors and enthusiasts alike, Hermitage Paradis represents the pinnacle of Grande Champagne Cognac production, boasting unparalleled quality, depth of flavour, and historical significance. What Makes a Paradis Cognac? Paradis Cognacs are typically drawn from the ‘bonbonnes’, glass demijohns where the oldest and most precious eaux-de-vie are carefully preserved. These spirits, often aged far beyond typical bottlings,… Read more

We love to celebrate National Cognac Day!  This year it’s on Sunday 4th June so if you have a bottle you keep for special occasions or fancy trying something new for the first time, this is time to do it! Cognac, which originates from a town of the same name in France, is a type of brandy, the generic name for spirits that have been made from fruit.  It begins life as a white wine, that has been produced in one of six designated growing regions, and is then distilled in an alembic still and aged in oak casks for years…. Read more

We were fascinated to read an interview with Bénédicte Hardy in ‘Frenchly’.  Bénédicte is the fifth generation to be involved with the House of Hardy cognacs, although much of her time has been spent working in the US. Entitled ‘Cognac’s return to Grace’, she describes the rich history of cognac and how in recent years, cognac has evolved into a symbol of both ‘rap stardom’ and ‘highbrow mixology’.  Here at Hermitage, it is that history that we aim to bottle and so a summary follows: In the 17th century, it was English, Irish, and Dutch négociants who really put cognac on the map… Read more

Here at Brandyclassics and Bunch & Bushel we sell three main types of French brandy: cognac, armagnac and calvados. Brandy is the generic name for spirits that have been made from fruit and produced all over the world.  But some brandies have very specific guidelines concerning their production.  So what is the difference between our products?  This can be summarised as follows: COGNAC Made from specific grape varieties Produced in the Cognac region of France only The eau de vie must be distilled twice Distilled in copper pot Charentais stills. ARMAGNAC Made from specific grape varieties Produced in the Armagnac region… Read more

The first World Aperitivo Day will be rolled out on a global basis on 26 May 2022, but what exactly is an aperitivo? The Italian tradition of Aperitivo dates back over 2000 years, and is a ritual observed across the Peninsula.  Italians know how to relax as the sun goes down and get ready for dinner with friends or family – they sip an aperitivo.  The word comes from the Latin aperire “to open” meaning, in this case, to open the appetite for the meal to come.  It’s a pre-dinner drink, usually low in alcohol and accompanied by small snacks such as olives… Read more

Single Cask is a term well known in the whisky industry, it certainly gives a product increased status and price but why is that?  The phrase Single Cask suggests a unique glimpse into a particular set of circumstances that has given rise to a one-off personality. The whisky may be from a certain year where the distillery was using a particular mashing regime, yeast strain or set of stills. It may have been stored in a warehouse that is known to provide certain conditions. The barrel itself is unique as no two trees are identical and coopers’ techniques differ, so… Read more

Armagnac is produced in the south west of France in the departments of Gers and Landes in the region known as Gascony. The region has very little industry and the landscape is relatively flat, very green and the people are friendly, living an altogether quieter life than those in Cognac to the north. Indeed, most of the land is given over to agriculture and perhaps well described by Nick Faith, the famous writer on French Brandies, as the land of Fois Gras.  An ideal base for armagnac crus. The climate is perhaps a little warmer than in Cognac but still… Read more

The digestif is an alcoholic drink served after dinner to aid digestion. So, one may ask, does it? Well yes it does. I guess that you would expect me to say this as luxury cognac producer, but I can support that view.  I have on occasions, taken a small cognac after a meal and having done so, I experienced greater well-being than when no such digestif was available. Indeed, I recall that my Grandmother, who was a lady in waiting for a rich socialite who lived in my hometown of Chichester, always enjoyed a cognac after a meal. Perhaps it… Read more

A little more than fifty years ago, I tasted my first early vintage cognac. It was a landmark tasting since, for the first time, I was able to understand the complexity of flavours which develop over time and create some of the most sought after cognac properties, which only a few people will ever be able to appreciate.  Unlike any other spirit, the flavour of fine cognac is generated over a long period of time in a barrel. Many of the finest cognacs have been aged for 50 years or even more and in some rare cases have been slowly maturing… Read more

Around 40 years ago I was privileged to be given what today I would describe as, one of the 10 finest cognacs in the world. I was staying at one of the finest hotels in Monaco and the sommelier, whose name was Georges, poured me a glass of A E Dor Hors d’Age No 5, 1840 Grande Champagne. He was seeking my opinion and needless to say, I was completely taken with it.  One of the greatest achievements a cellar master can claim is the production of a balanced cognac with a perfect rancio and this cognac did not disappoint. … Read more