A fine taste of France

Cognac, the French enigma, has a history that is as complex and rich as its taste. Read on

Often touted as one of the oldest spirits in the world, the origin of Cognac dates back to the 16th century when Dutch settlers came to the French town of Cognac to purchase salt, wood and wine. They soon realised that the journey back home would be detrimental to preserving the wine, so they started distilling the wine into eau-de-vie (French term for clear, colourless fruit brandy). During that process they realised that a second distillation made for a finer and more elegant product, which they called “brandewijn” or burnt wine. And that’s how brandy was born. While brandy is made around the world, it is the brandy that is made in the French town under the strictest guidelines, which can be called “cognac”. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels. Which basically means all cognac is brandy but not all brandy is cognac.

The spirit is distilled from a selection of grape varietals with Ugni Blanc being the most popular. Cognac grapes do not tend to make for good wine, because they are rather bitter and acidic. June 4 saw the National Cognac Day observed in the US. While some believe that the French are not particularly a fan of this very exclusive spirit, the world over famous Cognac houses such as Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Hine and Martell have become household names.

One of the most iconic variety is the Louis XIII from the house of Rémy Martin which is made from wine that has been distilled for anywhere between 40 to 100 years. And every 20 years the taste of the spirit alters dramatically. So in effect, it takes at least four generations of distillers for one complete bottle. That might just justify the price tag that goes up to Rs 2 lakhs to Rs 3 lakhs a bottle. While India too has warmed up to brands like Hennessy and Rémy Martin, Delamain remains much sought-after here.

Some companies have their own unique ways of categorising their Cognacs, however, the four most common categories, ranked by age, expense, and (usually) quality comprise VS (very special), VSOP (very special old pale), XO (extra old) and Extra. With VS, where a bottle is priced around Rs 1,300, it’s commonplace to mix it with water. VSOP would go slightly higher, up to Rs 2,000 a bottle. But by the time you get to XO and Extra and their hundred-thousand-dollar-per-bottle-price-tags, drinking it neat would be the only way to get your money’s worth. No matter the variant, your first taste of cognac should ideally be neat and it should be drunk from a snifter. Pour a measure of VSOP or XO in, swirl it around and check out the golden-brown colours. Let your palm warm the glass, as this will release a bouquet of aromas for you to savour. Then drink up.

There are, however, multiple ways to enjoy cognac, which go beyond consuming it as an after-dinner drink, like brandy. You can drink it as a chilled shot, on the rocks, cognac and cranberry juice also makes a smooth blend among many other cocktail combinations. Wine drinkers will particularly enjoy cognac if they are looking for some variety and more complexity in their drink. Cognac also scores in its rich aftertaste. Typically, it’s too hot in India to drink the stuff neat, so you can then dilute it with water or ice. Cola is also a common mixer, but only for VSOP— the XO is too good to mess with.

The writer is a mixologist