Category: Brandy Bottle Reviews

In 1991  A E Dor introduced their Opera presentation. The firm are ardent believers in blending and they decided to use a 25 year old cognac, which they described as an XO. What made this bottle so special was not just the attractive red and gold ceramic decanter with its ceramic gold stopper, but the box it was presented in. The box opened from the front and had a double hinged front opening which exposed the bottle sitting in front of a gold and curved background – it was a big presentation and looked stunning. Unfortunately today, the presentation has… Read more

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… Read more

Our Hermitage 1975 Grande Champagne was awarded the Masters Medal in the prestigious 2010 Cognac Masters Competition held in London, beating every other vintage cognac. But not just with a Gold Medal but with the highest accolade of all, The Masters Medal. So why is this wonderful cognac so good? It was produced on a small12 hectolitre narrow headed still, designed to minimise rectification by allowing all the fruit flavours in the wine to condense when it returns to a liquid. What makes this a great cognac is the ageing and strength – small oak barrels with a medium toasting,… Read more

The Chateau de Beaulon 12 year old VSOP is a cognac of the  Fin Bois cru. Although the Fins Bois is the fourth cru, one should not conclude that it produces fourth grade cognacs. Indeed there is an area of Coniacian Chalk that passes through the south west corner of the region that extends through to the town of Cognac, and is responsible for some of the finest cognacs in Fins Bois. There has been a continuing argument that this particular area should be re-classified as Borderies or even Petite Champagne for the quality of its cognacs. The Chateau de Beaulon 12 year old… Read more

Perhaps it is because the cognac producing region is relatively small that it is also rather incestuous. Like many cognac producers, the history of Ragnaud Sabourin and its distant relatives who are only just around the corner is colourful. Family matters though have not prevented Ragnaud Sabourin identifying a quantity of cognacs hidden in a corner of their cellars from 1903. They have bottled it  (but it has to be said, in the cheapest bottles made) and put it into a presentation box. It is as well that we do not score the presentation! That aside what is in the… Read more