1. Cognac is pronounced ‘Con-yak’…don’t ask why.
2. All brandy ain’t Cognac, just like all Indians aren’t Punjabis! You have to be made in the region of Cognac to enjoy the classification. But it is fruit-based (grapes!) and hence for those who are scared of mixing their spirits, you could transfer between this and wine without a ‘souci’ in the world!
3. Cognac is not expensive just because it is old or because it is blended from 100 different ‘eaux-de-vie’. A good Cognac is a blend of some (as few as 2-3 will also do) rare and exceptional eaux-de-vie.4. Cognacs don’t age once bottled; so don’t try ageing one! Buy it to drink it. The even better thing is that, once open, it can preserve well.
5. Cognac doesn’t have a year usually. They classify themselves as VS, VSOP and XO. These too aren’t completely fixed (except for the minimum ageing requirements) and different houses may interpret them differently (e.g. one house may age their XO for 7 years, another for 21 years!).
6. If you still drink Cognac out of snifters, get out of it. Unless it is an absolute high-end pedigree product, avoid the old school. Instead opt for the old-fashioned glass. Or, better yet, as with a VS or VSOP, pair it tonic or soda and have it in a high-ball glass. Even an XO on the rocks in an ‘Old-fashioned’ (like a single malt) is acceptable; and enjoyable.
7. It is not only to be drunk after a meal. The days of the digestive are over, have a cognac with or before your meals, it’s pretty versatile.
8. When tasting a Cognac, talk of notes like oak-infused rich nuttiness, cigar-box smells, toastiness and then perhaps drop a few praises about the almond-paste notes. For aged ones, like XO and beyond, use the word ‘rancio’- a typical note which develops as the eaux-de-vie oxidise a bit during the ageing process and acquire a mushroomy, fungus-like, note. Don’t call it fungus, prefer the word ‘underwood’!
9. When names-dropping definitely start with Hennessy – the most revered of brands. Then, do touch upon Remy Martin, Martell, Courvoisier (koor-vo-a-si-er), Camus (ka-mew), Bisquit (bis-cui) and perhaps even Otard.
2. All brandy ain’t Cognac, just like all Indians aren’t Punjabis! You have to be made in the region of Cognac to enjoy the classification. But it is fruit-based (grapes!) and hence for those who are scared of mixing their spirits, you could transfer between this and wine without a ‘souci’ in the world!
3. Cognac is not expensive just because it is old or because it is blended from 100 different ‘eaux-de-vie’. A good Cognac is a blend of some (as few as 2-3 will also do) rare and exceptional eaux-de-vie.4. Cognacs don’t age once bottled; so don’t try ageing one! Buy it to drink it. The even better thing is that, once open, it can preserve well.
5. Cognac doesn’t have a year usually. They classify themselves as VS, VSOP and XO. These too aren’t completely fixed (except for the minimum ageing requirements) and different houses may interpret them differently (e.g. one house may age their XO for 7 years, another for 21 years!).
6. If you still drink Cognac out of snifters, get out of it. Unless it is an absolute high-end pedigree product, avoid the old school. Instead opt for the old-fashioned glass. Or, better yet, as with a VS or VSOP, pair it tonic or soda and have it in a high-ball glass. Even an XO on the rocks in an ‘Old-fashioned’ (like a single malt) is acceptable; and enjoyable.
7. It is not only to be drunk after a meal. The days of the digestive are over, have a cognac with or before your meals, it’s pretty versatile.
8. When tasting a Cognac, talk of notes like oak-infused rich nuttiness, cigar-box smells, toastiness and then perhaps drop a few praises about the almond-paste notes. For aged ones, like XO and beyond, use the word ‘rancio’- a typical note which develops as the eaux-de-vie oxidise a bit during the ageing process and acquire a mushroomy, fungus-like, note. Don’t call it fungus, prefer the word ‘underwood’!
9. When names-dropping definitely start with Hennessy – the most revered of brands. Then, do touch upon Remy Martin, Martell, Courvoisier (koor-vo-a-si-er), Camus (ka-mew), Bisquit (bis-cui) and perhaps even Otard.
