Category: News from the Brandy Houses

We are thrilled to announce that the Cognac Masters 2022 results have just been released and it was an exceptional medal haul for Hermitage. A Master Medal was awarded to all four entrants, providing the best set of results for Hermitage ever.  These latest winners are: Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judge’s comments: Candied orange aromas. Really nice texture to this Cognac, hints of spice and rich fruitiness. Very sippable actually, would also be ideal for mixing. Hermitage 25 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges’ comments: Superbly expressive nose with rancio, cedar wood and sandalwood, followed by deep dark dried fruits… Read more

We have recently added two new, exciting releases to our Hermitage Cognac stable, both distilled over 50 years ago. The 1975 comes from the region near St Preuil, in central Grande Champagne. An enchanting cognac, it has flavours of clove, turmeric and blackberry complemented by thyme, rosemary, pork crackle with white truffle and kumquats on the tail. Less than a barrel of this fine, rare cognac exists. The 1972 vintage comes from Petite Champagne where it has been mellowing in its oak cask for almost 40 years and although its strength is 45% abv, it has a sublime balance. Petite Champagne… Read more

Our Hermitage 60 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac has always been popular, not just for its stunning flavours, but because it it the perfect gift for those born in 1962 or with a 60th anniversary this year. We are therefore very excited that we have a new 60 Year Old to share with you. Coming from the region around Juillac le Coq, it is beautifully balanced and has flavours of clove, liquorice, roasted chestnuts, cocoa and nutmeg. We also supply it in a Gift Set comprising a 20 cl bottle and a Hermitage Cognac tulip-shaped tasting glass. And if 60… Read more

Hermitage Cognacs Thrilling to hear the International Wine & Spirits Competition announce their Brandy Producer of the Year 2021 this morning ….. “and the winner is Hermitage Cognacs”.  The ceremony can be watched here on  Instagram or on Facebook. What an amazing accolade especially as we are the first ever British-based cognac house to receive the award. Our cognacs had amazing success at the IWSC this year: A GOLD OUTSTANDING Medal and The Cognac Trophy was awarded to: Hermitage 50 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac And GOLD Medals were awarded to: Hermitage 1952 Grande Champagne Cognac Hermitage 1955 Grande Champagne Cognac Hermitage Paradis 1890 Grande Champagne… Read more

The Spirits Business’ Melita Kiely recently interviewed our MD, David Baker, about the cognac sector and this is what she had to say: ‘From music and wine to fine French spirits, David Baker has had quite the journey building his Hermitage Cognacs brand. He tells us why interest in Cognac is on the rise, and why the category should stay true to its rules and regulations.’ She discusses the merits of Hermitage Paradis 1885 Grande Champagne Cognac which was distilled in the year when Mark Twain published the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the US, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York… Read more

We are very pleased to announce a new addition to our stocks: liqueurs and eaux de vie from Nusbaumer, an independent, family-owned artisanal distillery in the heart of the Alsace.  Founded by Jos Nusbaumer in 1947, the distillery is located in Stiege, a small town in the Vosge valleys, to the south-west of Strasbourg.  There are several factors that make Stiege the ideal place to distil fruit spirits; there’s exceptional mountain spring water, an altitude allowing lower distillation pressure leading to richer aromas and a microclimate with significant temperature variations.  All of these factors have a positive impact on fermentation, maceration and aging…. Read more

Last time we reported that Whistle Pig founder, Raj Bhakta, had bought the armagnac house Maison Ryst Dupeyron.  One wonders if he intends to do for armagnac what he did for rye whiskey over the past decade? After just 12 years of trading, Whistle Pig has become the leading supplier of rye whiskey and sells over 1.2 million cases per year.  Bhakta’s interest in armagnac began in 2017 when Whistle Pig took its priciest rye whiskey and finished it in armagnac barrels. The result, the Black Prince, won best overall whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. No longer… Read more

We have often reported how the drinks industry is changing its production methods to become more environmentally friendly but now the products themselves are under the spotlight.  A European group, the Circular Economy Platform for Glass Collection & Recycling, is aiming to have 90% of all EU glass packaging recycled by 2030; the figure currently stands at 76%.  A consumer survey found that 80% of Europeans still prefer buying wine and spirits in glass bottles and spending on products packaged in glass has risen 51% in the last 3 years.  The ‘Close the Glass Loop’ group, supported by Spirits Europe,… Read more

The Rémy Cointreau Group has announced their acquisition of Maison de Cognac J.R. Brillet which is based at Graves Saint Amant in the Charente.  The Brillet Cognac sale includes 50 hectares of vineyards located in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, the Brillet cognacs and Belle de Brillet, a pear and cognac liqueur.   Good to see its ownership remain with a family owned French firm but the big houses often subsume new cognac stocks into huge generic blends where individual flavours are completely lost.  It has taken a year for this sale to be agreed and during that time the Remy Cointreau Group’s… Read more

The results are out!  We entered 4 of our ever-expanding range of Grande Champagne cognacs into The Spirits Business Cognac Masters this year and came away with 2 x GOLD medals and 2 x MASTER medals.  These could be our best results yet. GOLD medals were awarded to: Hermitage 20 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac  –  “Big and complex cognac”  Judges comments and Hermitage Café 20 Cognac  –  “Delicious … warm spice and a long finish”  Judges comments MASTER Medals were awarded to: Hermitage 40 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac  –  “Wonderfully complex”  Judges comments and Hermitage Eleanor 60 +… Read more