A secret hotel cellar in Worcestershire has been discovered, revealing amongst other treasures, two bottles of Hine 1914 Cognac.  A wonderful find, you might think, in 2014 the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of The Great War.  Due to be auctioned shortly, they have been valued at £3000 each which is surely a little optimistic.  WW1 Cognacs are, of course, great vintages to have but there are still a few alternatives available.  Our own Hermitage 1914 Borderies Cognac is very special indeed with an incredible spectrum of flavours from toffee to walnuts and provides excellent value for money.  Referred to… Read more

TV Presenter and journalist, Olly Smith,  tastes plenty of cognacs in the course of his work and last month he recommended our Hermitage 1999 Cognac as “The Daddy of gifts – as complex and satisfying as a Dickens novel.”  He also had some other gift ideas too – “…why not hunt a bottle from his birth year from a top quality range at Brandyclassics which presents bottles in impressive boxes?” http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/home/event/article-2649801/OLLY-SMITH-Choose-Daddys-sauce-The-old-man-wants-one-thing-Fathers-Day-not-pair-socks.htm

La Grande Josiane has been developed from an old family recipe and is the result of a subtle alliance between the fullness and strength of Armagnac and the softness and perfume of bitter oranges meticulously selected for their maturity. At 36%abv it is a concentration of flavours that can be drunk at any time of the day in a number of ways: As an aperitif – to sip over ice mixed with sparking wine or Champagne. As a digestif – poured into a still warm coffee cup. In cooking – it will add a zing to fruit salads, sorbets and… Read more

On 6th of June 1944 over 130,000 Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in the biggest sea-borne invasion in military history. Known as Operation Overlord, the Allied mission was clear – to retake France from the invading Germans.  Landing on 5 beaches designated with the codenames by which they are still known today: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, the soldiers stormed the coast from Saint-Marie-du-Mont to Ouistreham, taking thousands of casualties.  This was one of the most audacious and heroic wartime operations of the 20th Century and 80 days later the Allies had successfully repelled the German forces. Many celebrations are taking place this week to… Read more

This month we are offering a 5% Discount Code for use on our Website to anyone who Likes our Facebook page or Follows us on Linked In. All you have to do is ‘Like’ us or ‘Follow’ us, the links are on the Home Page, and then e mail us at cognac@brandyclassics.com to let us know.  We will then send you a unique Promotion Code to use on our website by 30 June 2014. 

For those who prefer the soft, red berries of the season, our Kir Impérial is another delight, perfect for enjoying on those long summer evenings: To Make: Just mix one part Crème à la Fraise des Bois or Liqueur de Framboises to 9 parts white wine to produce a refreshing, strawberry or raspberry flavoured Kir.

Widely used as an introduction drink at parties and more formal celebrations, Pineau Royale is also a delight on a hot sunny day. To Make: Take half a bottle of Pineau and half a bottle of sparkling mineral water, mix in a jug with the juice of 3 lemons and about 50cl of Hermitage Provenance 10 Grande Champagne cognac, add lots of ice and stir. Serve with slices of lemon in a highball glass. <<<< Share This Post Far Left

Replanting after the Phylloxera outbreak did not restore prosperity.  After the First World War came Prohibition in the United States and crippling state duties in Britain as well as State monopolies in Canada and Norway.  Things became so bad that in 1922 Hennessy and Martell signed a pact to work together, effectively carving up the world markets between them. Ironically, it was the German occupation of 1940-45 which provoked the springboard for post war cooperation and prosperity.  Cognac was occupied during the war but the commander was a sympathetic figure named Herr Klaebisch.  He had been in school in Cognac… Read more

New figures from the WSTA show that pubs are becoming increasingly reliant on wine and spirit sales which are being served in equal measure with beer in newly opened gastro pubs, restaurants and bars. Forecasts from CGA Strategy show that wine and spirit sales in the on trade are on the up and by 2018 spirits sales will have increased from 22% to 24%.  This must be a welcome trend for pubs and hotels as this sector of the market provides considerably greater profitability.  The mark up on spirits, in particular, is one which hotels are beginning to recognise.  Cognacs of… Read more

In a recent list of the Ten Most Expensive Spirits, this bottle of Henry IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne came second, retailing at a cool £1.2 million. Although the cognac is 100 years old most of the value is in the bottle.  Made from 24 carat gold and sterling platinum, scattered with 6,500 diamonds, the bottle weighs in at a mere 8kg.  You might expect such an extravagant piece to be unique but amazingly that is not the case.  Sitting at number one in the same list is a bottle of Tequila worth £2.1 million. Made from white gold, platinum and… Read more