Category: Famous Cognac Houses

White Cognac from Coal The pressure on cognac houses in the early noughties to sell greater quantities inspired some to try and produce a white or clear cognac. Of course this should not be possible as cognac must be aged in oak and the wood always imparts some colour and most of all flavour. Consequently, when Hennessy introduced a ‘white’ cognac it still had some colour. So, one of the oldest cognac houses, Godet, produced a plan to solve this problem by filtering their cognac through coal. The plan worked and they launched Antarctica as a ‘white’ cognac.  However, Cognac… Read more

Suntory Holdings Limited, based in Osaka, and US based Beam Inc. have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Suntory will acquire all shares of Beam in a deal worth $16bn.  The acquisition, which will bring together Beam’s Courvoisier Cognac with Suntory’s Louis Royer Cognac, amongst other famous brands, is expected to make it the third largest supplier of premium spirits in the world, with a stated aim of becoming the global leader in distilled spirits.  Wasting no time on its expansion plans, it is reported that Suntory have subsequently made a bid to buy Whyte & Mackay whisky… Read more

There have been significant changes at Remy Martin over the past month.  First, it was announced that their Cellar Master, of 10 years, is to be replaced in the spring and then, last week, their newly appointed CEO resigned after only 3 months in post.  Although his resignation came as a surprise, it coincided with some poor company results.  Stock levels have dropped by 23% since he took over in October and operating profit is expected to be down by 20% at the end of the fiscal year.  These personality changes suggest that all is not well at Remy. It… Read more

Next time you go to Cognac pop into any producer and ask them who is next door and they won’t know, but ask them if they know George Roullet and the answer will either be a look, suggesting you should leave the premises quickly, or a fit of laughter. Roullet Fransac is situated on the quay next to Hennessy in Cognac.  It therefore offers clients visiting Hennessy a chance to browse around the dusty shelves of its premises for an alternative to the sticky, sugary, caramel offerings next door. George would buy his cognacs from local chais in Grande Champagne,… Read more

With a burgeoning desire for cognac, two of the largest players in the market are putting plans into place to ensure they can keep up with the ever increasing global demand.  Hennessy has acquired a plot on the outskirts of Cognac where it will build an additional bottling plant aiming to increase production from 60 to 120 million bottles by 2030.  Not to be outdone, Remy Martin are investing a further 30 million € into its production site at Merpins with the aim of increasing their manufacturing capacity by 30% over the next 5 years.  These expansions must send alarm… Read more

After less than a year, Larsen Cognac is changing hands again.  It has been purchased by Altia, the leading Finnish wine and spirits company in the Nordic and Baltic countries, an area where Larsen has historically positioned itself as a key cognac brand.  The interim owners, Remy Martin have brokered a deal which hands over all aspects of the brand, including the industrial and commercial assets and the necessary inventories to continue operating Larsen as a going concern.  This has to be good news for the industry as the big houses eradicate much individuality by blending hundreds of cognacs together. … Read more

Perhaps one of the last Grandees of the cognac industry, Frapin, is expanding its vineyards to keep up with the demand in China. Frapin, best known for its famous Chateau Fontpinot which is set in some of the best area of Grande Champagne, has increased its vineyards by 11% taking the total area to 240 hectares and sufficient to provide more than 2500 hectolitres of eau de vie.  Probably their best cognacs originate from their cellars in Segonzac where they hold many vintages but are best known for the wonderful cognac named after their famous chateau.  It is their prized… Read more

Yet another big cognac house is up for sale.  Hine Cognac, which was founded in Jarnac in 1763, celebrates its 250th Anniversary this year.  The name Hine originates from an Englishman who married into the family in the early 19th century and the House has remained in the hands of Hine descendants ever since.  Abiding by the founder’s motto ‘less is more’ they have continued to produce relatively small quantities of very high quality cognac.  The current owner, CL World Brands, has recently relinquished its stake in Jamaican Appleton Rum and the whisky producers Burn Stewart Distillers fuelling rumours that… Read more

Larsen, the Norwegian owned cognac House in Cognac has been bought by Remy Martin for an undisclosed sum. The firm was known for their Viking ship bottles and Norsemen ceramic decanters that were often seen in duty free shops at airports. Remy have agreed to keep the brand going as it will fuel their range of customers in the Scandinavian markets. Larsen were negoçiants and don’t make any cognacs themselves but buy them in, mainly from the Champagnes.  This may well be another reason why Remy were interested, as like the other big houses, they are desperate to get their… Read more

At the end of our series on the Good and Great Cognac houses, we thought it appropriate to do a bit of chest beating for our very own Hermitage Cognacs. They are not the products of a single distiller, but from family distilleries and cellars with proven production and ageing procedures. The concept of Hermitage Pure Vintage Cognacs was formed about fifteen years ago, as we recognised the need to move away from blended cognacs which lacked individuality and failed to promote the age of the cognacs in the bottle. Our customers recognised that older brandies are better than young… Read more