Category: News

Recent improvements in the £ / € exchange rate have been of great importance to importers like us so we feel that it is only right and proper to share our good fortune with you. We are extremely grateful to all our customers who have loyally supported us throughout the recession years and now we would like to give you something in return. Traditionally this time of the year sees many cognac and armagnac prices increase and indeed in many cases they have but, to reflect the recent strength of the pound, we are cutting our prices across the board… Read more

Cognac expert Ed Bates, speaking at a tasting in London recently, highlighted the stylistic and commercial stranglehold that the big four houses have on the industry (they have 80% of the cognac market).   In order to compete, most of the other houses “try to copy Hennessy XO because the world, or Asia, thinks that cognac tastes like Hennessy XO”.  They do have another option though, he says, which in the longer term could be more beneficial.  Making the individuality of their terroir (which includes factors such as the skill of the distiller, still, casks, cellar etc.) their unique selling point… Read more

The ‘Call Time On Duty’ Campaign, spearheaded last year by The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), successfully resulted in the government’s alcohol and duty escalator (ADE) being scrapped in the 2014 budget.  The Campaign set out to have the automatic year-on-year tax increases abolished as they were undermining the competitiveness of the industry.  This is great news for the UK Spirits Market because since the ADE’s introduction in 2008, tax on spirits has increased by a staggering 44%.  Duty is currently calculated at a rate of £28.22 per litre of pure alcohol.  This means that for a 70cl bottle… Read more

A Good Vintage? Every year, around this time we start to get the full picture of the cognac production for 2014.  Most of the new spirit will have been distilled and placed in new oak barrels and for the first time we are able to establish both the quality and quantity produced.  Last September was dry and sunny and the grapes grew well during the year.  Despite storms earlier in the year, which affected some areas to the west of Cognac, this year’s harvest was good.  Indeed so good, it seems likely to have exceeded the big 1988 harvest.  It… Read more

The whisky industry is not dissimilar to the cognac industry in many ways.  It has lots of small producers and age statements are very important to its target audience.  However, whisky producers have always been more aware of consumer trends than cognac producers and are constantly looking for new marketing routes.  But this latest idea of selling whisky in a can has to be the most unusual yet. The most unusual presentation we have had to date is an apple in a bottle – how do they do that?

Last year we were delighted to announce the success of our Hermitage Provenance Cognacs winning Gold medals at The Cognac Masters – a blind tasting competition with an independent panel of expert judges – but our latest news is even better!  Just before Christmas we were thrilled to be announced as The Spirits Business Cognac Grand Master.  A real accolade, designed to emphasise excellence in the spirits industry, it confirmed Hermitage Cognacs as the best cognac house in the entire competition. Click here to view the entire range and judge for yourself.

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… Read more

Cognac is The King of all Spirits and Hermitage Grande Champagne Cognacs sit with the greatest of all. They are not multi-blended brandies with generic XO descriptions, they are single estate cognacs aged in oak with age statements.  Moreover, they come from the top cru, Grande Champagne, where only the very finest cognacs are made. They are the ultimate reward – is there a better way to reward your staff, valued customers or perhaps even yourself this Christmas? These are magical cognacs that have won numerous awards.  They have individual tastes, they are easy to drink, not aggressive but smooth and welcoming… Read more

The aroma of luxury cognac is, without doubt, part of its appeal but why is it so significant? Scientists from the Technische Universitat Munchen and the German Research Centre for Food Chemistry have found that food smells have 230 key aromas (or odourants).  The molecules that make up the odour of specific food stuffs comprise a group of between 3 and 40 odourants and it is the combination of these that mean we can instantly recognize a foodstuff by its smell before we see or taste it. The smell of butter, for instance, is created by 3 key molecules, strawberries… Read more

A Flood of Cognac It seems somewhat crazy that this time last year we were expecting cognac price increases to be as high as in previous years but, in actual fact, the price has held steady and may even drop. Suddenly we have an excess of very young, good cognac and distillers are seeking to find customers for unsold stocks.  So why has this dramatic change occurred? Well it is all to do with the big houses not needing to buy so much eaux de vie for their blends.  The vast Chinese markets have reduced considerably the quantity of top… Read more