Category: Brandy Bottle Reviews

Here at Brandyclassics we specialise in finding the very best cognacs available to sell under our own label, Hermitage.  We painstakingly search out those hidden gems, that have been ageing in cellars since the year they were made, for our customers to enjoy.  Sometimes only a barrel or two are available and when they are empty, the last drop of the vintage has gone. Four of these unique, vintage Hermitage cognacs have less than 10 bottles remaining so this is a fantastic opportunity to acquire an exceptionally rare, exquisite cognac from a bygone era.  These precious few bottles really are… Read more

Another fantastic result for the Hermitage stable as three of our newest additions are awarded prestigious medals at this year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC 2018).  GOLD OUTSTANDING Medals were received by our latest vintages:   Hermitage 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments: “On the palate this cognac is extremely rich and concentrated.  Perfectly balanced.” Hermitage 1944 Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments: “Absolutely superb!  Do not wait to drink this.”   All three of our winners are from the top cru as a GOLD Medal was also awarded to the Hermitage 30 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments:… Read more

We are really excited about the latest Hermitage 1944 Cognac to make it onto our shelves.   Distilled almost 75 years ago and aged for more than half a century, the Hermitage 1944 Grande Champagne Cognac is truly wonderful.  It has a rich complexity of aromas and flavours which last for ages on the palate and they are all wrapped up in a rich rancio …. what more could you wish for?   This really is a little bit of cognac heaven.

This is a very young, vintage cognac (aged for 3 years) but with an interesting history.   It was produced to mimic the pre-Phylloxera style; that is using the single grape variety Folle Blanche from the Bon Bois cru.  It is also a single cask vintage with a higher that average alcohol content at 41.3% (although pre-Phylloxera cognacs were often left at cask strength).  The Folle Blanche today accounts for only 10% of grapes grown in the region as the majority were decimated in the pre-Phylloxera outbreak and the rootstocks now in use are better suited to cropping Ugni Blanc… Read more

Pineau des Charentes is a combination of freshly pressed grape juice and cognac. It comes in two colours, white and red (sometimes known as rosé) and as with cognac, the flavour is affected by its age.  Young Pineau is fruity and light whilst older Pineau offers more complex and concentrated flavours with distinctive fresh fruit tones morphing into dried fruit and nuts.  Produced exclusively in France’s Cognac region, it has been protected under AOC status since 1945.  As a result, this spirited wine benefits from the long-standing expertise and historical know-how of Cognac cellar-masters.  It is unique with its aromatic… Read more

Another company seeking to recreate a cognac from a past era (see The Bottle Story) is Larsen.  A barrel of their 40 year old Cognac has been transported to a 20-metre-high sea fort, at the mouth of the River Charentes, where it will remain for several months. The aim is to replicate the ageing conditions that Cognac would have undergone hundreds of years ago and see how maritime weather affects the finished product.   Larsen’s Cellar Master said: “Traditionally, in the 18th and 19th centuries, shallow boats were loaded with barrels of Cognac before crossing oceans to markets all over the… Read more

We often have requests to do a Brandy Bottle Valuation and whilst sometimes a bottle can have a high value, most brandy valuations will disappoint most people.   The term brandy is generic and covers any alcoholic drink reduced or distilled from a fruit. This includes Spanish brandies, grappa, marc and grape brandy (which can be used for semi-production purposes, for example fortifying port or sherry). This group of brandies will usually include the name brandy on the bottle but by law cannot include the names armagnac, calvados or cognac. If no identifying descriptions appear on the label we can… Read more

We are delighted to announce that three of our Hermitage Cognacs range were awarded medals at the recent Spirits Business Cognac Masters Competition.  Almost 40% of our Hermitage range now have a Masters or Gold Medal. Our highly-prized Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise was presented with a Masters Medal in the Vintage – Single Estate category.  The judges commented that “when a cognac is done well, it is exceptionally good at ageing”. Gold Medals were also awarded to two other vintages.  Our Hermitage 45 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac clearly wowed the judges as well as ourselves, as did the Hermitage 1958… Read more

We were disappointed to read earlier this year that Cognac Renault has created ‘a new innovation – an expression specifically designed to pair with coffee’ – called Renault Avec.  Quite simply this is not the case. Hermitage Cognac launched its Café 20 Cognac in the Autumn of 2016 and it is already well established in the marketplace as a coffee accompaniment.   Provenance is not the only difference.  Renault have blended cognacs from 3 different crus aged between 3 and 8 years.  They are ‘not attempting to create a big, powerful cognac’ so have treated the barrels differently to affect the… Read more

Just arrived – Hermitage 1968 Petite Champagne Cognac. The mid 1960s produced some excellent cognacs from Petite Champagne and this one is no exception.  It needs to stand for a few minutes for the aromas of hazelnuts, brioche, bananas and gooseberries to develop.  This is a lighter style cognac, exhibiting many flavours initially of roasted hazelnuts with brioche and a hint of lime.  These develop slowly with banana, blueberries and a hint of strawberries with the zest of lime influencing the tail.  Distilled 50 years ago, it is a very special treat for someone celebrating their half century in 2018. … Read more