Skip to content

We ship internationally to over 50 countries !International Shipping to over 50 countries    |     Trade Customer?    Placing a large order?    Just need advice?    Please call +44(0) 1225 863988

Category: Brandy Bottle Reviews

Two of the Very Best Cognacs from Hermitage

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, The Bottle Story and tagged

Two of the best cognacsOur Cognac Buyer has been super busy recently and these latest additions to the Hermitage range are astonishingly good!  Both are from the top cru, Grande Champagne.  They are wonderful examples of spirit that has been aged naturally, in oak casks, for decades.  Indeed they are two of the best cognacs in our portfolio.

Hermitage 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac has been in wood for more than half a century. Distilled 70 years ago it is remarkable, rich and complex and has developed a wonderful, rich rancio which lasts on the palate for a very long time.

Hermitage 45 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  This is a cognac of great distinction which must not be hurried.  The many aromas and flavours need to be discovered slowly. Its intense rancio is worthy of an even older Grande Champagne cognac.

The Bottle Story – Camus XO Family Reserve

Posted in Brandy Bottle Reviews, The Bottle Story and tagged

Camus XO - the Bottle StoryDoes this bottle shape remind you of something?  It looks remarkably like the iconic Louis XIII Cognac presentation from Remy Martin to us!  So why would Camus choose to put their latest release in a copy of such a well-known carafe?  Perhaps they are hoping it will make consumers look twice?  The new Camus XO presentation also contains a new product.  Still blended, and only aged for a minimum of 6 years, this release comes from a single estate in the Borderies cru.  Although only the 3rd cognac cru, Borderies can produce some wonderfully flavoured cognac.  But in our experience, this only occurs after decades of ageing – take our Hermitage 1914 for example.

New Hermitage Cognac Celebration Vintages

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, News from the Brandy Houses and tagged

Hermitage Cognac Celebration VintagesWe are really looking forward to 2018 as two more Hermitage celebration vintages are added to our stores. An exceptional Borderies 1958 cognac was the first to arrive and it has just been joined by a rare, Grande Champagne gem from 1938. Wonderful, single estate, vintage cognacs but particularly special for those with a 60th or 80th celebration this year.

The full range of Hermitage celebration vintages comprises:

1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1988, with 1968 arriving next month.

And if it’s armagnac you’re after, we have the following vintages in stock:

1918, 1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, & 1998

Olly Smith recommends Brandyclassics

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged

Hermitage Provenance 10 - Olly SmithThe Mail on Sunday’s drinks writer and well known TV personality, Olly Smith, has featured a few products from the Brandyclassics website in his column over recent months.  He began with recommending our Hermitage Provenance 10 Cognac for Bonfire Night suggesting that one should “Dive into this liquid flame, whose quality will set your very soul alight”.  He is not the only one to enjoy this wonderful cognac.  It has been flying off our shelves ever since!

With Christmas approaching Olly moved into our ArBlanche de Cassagnoles - Olly Smithmagnac range.  Firstly he advocated the ever popular Delord 20 Year Old Bas Armagnac describing it as his Top Pick – “plums and almonds rolled in cinnamon, the scent of sheer Christmas!”.  A long time favourite of ours this Armagnac is pleasingly presented in a green basquaise bottle.

And finally last weekend, he chose to feature our Blanche de Cassagnoles.  A white armagnac from the Tenareze region it has beautiful prune flavours despite the water-clear appearance.  Ideal for Christmas cocktails, flambés and other sorts of cooking.

Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, The Bottle Story and tagged

Crystal Decanter CognacOur latest release, Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise, is a 60-Year-Old Grande Champagne from one of the region’s top artisan producers. This astonishing creation has been described as “lining one’s mouth with velvet” and is a precious and rare investment.  At 43% abv it has all the complex aromas and flavours one would expect from such a well-aged cognac.

It is offered in a limited first run of 50 one litre decanters produced by Cumbria Crystal.  They are the last producer of completely hand-blown and hand-cut, full-lead luxury English crystal in the UK. The intensity and depth of flavours created by its careful distillation and ageing have created a masterpiece of smoothness and an intensely rich rancio found only in the rarest of cognacs. This truly great cognac is named after Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. She bore his son who was given the title ‘Roi de Rome’ and who later became Napoleon II.

Victoria MooreOur finest release to date, Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise made it into the Saturday Telegraph two months in a row.  Initially, on 4 November, Victoria Moore wrote a fascinating piece about our MD, David Baker, Hermitage Cognacs and of course Cognac Marie Louise.  On 2 December she included details of the wonderful 60 plus year old cognac in the Luxury supplement.

Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise is available from Hedonism Wines, Corney and Barrow, Chelsea Vintners and our Brandyclassics website and is proving to be a real hit this Christmas.    

The Bottle Story – Hardy Legend 1863

Posted in Brandy Bottle Reviews, The Bottle Story and tagged

Hardy 1863 is not pre-PhylloxeraThe name ‘Hardy Legend 1863’ sounds as if it is an exceedingly valuable pre-Phylloxera cognac from the nineteenth century.  (The Phylloxera outbreak swept through French vineyards in about 1875).  Cognacs produced before this time were made with Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes.  Today they are extremely rare and valuable.  The name of this new, US release refers to the year the firm Hardy was established.  The bottle contains cognac aged for up to 12 years and is a blend of Petite Champagne and Borderies.  It is made from the more modern Ugni Blanc grapes.  Still a family firm, A Hardy has been around a long time.  This bottle costs about £50 so do not be duped into thinking it is a bargain from years ago – our pre-Phylloxera cognacs retail at £6000 upwards.  Compare it also to our single estate, Grande Champagne 10 Year Old Cognac, Hermitage Provenance 10, which is priced at just £46 a bottle.

Hermitage Grande Champagne 1966 Cognac

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged

1966 CognacLast year we sold out of the very popular Hermitage Grande Champagne 1966 Cognac.  It is now back in stock, though from a different barrel.  The quality is the same but the flavours and strength differ slightly.

Amazing, subtle aromas of pear, mangosteen and hay combine with complex flavours of almond lychee, macademia nuts and pink grapefruit.  This is an unusual but delicious cognac with charm and elegance.

New 20Cl Cognac Gift Presentations

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged

20Cl CognacWe have just extended our range of Hermitage Cognac 20Cl Gift Presentations.  They can be purchase in box sets of two on the website.  If you cannot see the combination that you require, just phone or email us. with your preference.

Many of the finest and rarest cognacs are hardly ever tasted since the prices are often beyond the reach of many cognac devotees.  This new presentation gives more cognac fans the opportunity to enjoy these wonderful old nectars.   Ideal for drinking either on ones own, or with friends.

You can choose two 20Cl bottles from the following Hermitage Vintage Cognacs:

1900                                1956                                   1967                                50 year old

1914                                 1957                                  1987                                60 year old

1917                                 1966                                   43 year old                   70 year old

Some vintages are in very limited supply so don’t miss this amazing opportunity to try some wonderfully aged cognac from years ago.

Our Vintage Brandies Range From 1900 – 2005

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged

We Have Every Single Year From 1930 – 1994

Brandies from every yearWe specialise in supplying vintage brandies for special occasions.  Cognac, armagnac and calvados originate in France and we select only the very best.  The range has been expanding since we started out more than a quarter of a century ago.  It now spans over a century.

Our stocks include a vintage for every single year from 1930 to 1994 – that’s 65 years of birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions which can be marked with something truly special.  Vintage brandies were harvested in the year they were labelled and then aged, untouched in casks for many years.  Single estate, single cask and no additives – just pure brandy – the perfect way to celebrate.

Another Historic Cognac Vintage – 1947

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, The Bottle Story and tagged

We are delighted to announce the addition of yet another Hermitage Ville Ancienne cognac to our range.  This particular vintage is proving to be a rarity.  Hermitage 1947 Grande Champagne Cognac has flavours of sweet spices, ripe medlars, muscat grapes, ripe plums and cocoa. Superbly balanced, it has developed a good rancio.  We don’t expect it to be available for long!

This cognac was distilled 70 years ago in 1947.   That year, George Marshall outlined the ‘Marshall Plan’ which set out to rebuild Western Europe after the second World War. Also, the future British Queen, Princess Elizabeth II wed Lt Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey, London.