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Category: Brandy Bottle Reviews

An Historic 1957 Cognac Vintage

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1957 CognacThis 1957 Cognac has just arrived at our Hermitage Ville Ancienne stable.  It is another vintage cognac from the mid twentieth century.

Hermitage 1957 Grande Champagne Cognac has a delightful initial aroma of ginger, sweet spices, linden and white truffle and exceptional flavours of roasted almonds, truffle, porcini and macadamia nuts. A long, balanced, grapefruit peel finish completes the enjoyment of this delicious nectar.

The 1957 Cognac was distilled 60 years ago.  That same year the Soviet Union launched ‘Sputnik 1’ – the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth.  We also said goodbye to the much-loved Humphrey Bogart.

Gold Medals for Hermitage Cognacs

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Gold Medal WinnerWe are delighted to announce that in the 2017 Cognac Masters our two single vintage cognacs both won Gold Medals.

Hermitage 1967 Petite Champagne Cognac is complex with many charming qualities. Mature, yet youthful and light, it is a little bit of Hermitage bliss.

Hermitage 1987 Grande Champagne Cognac is also wonderfully complex with flavours of wild fruits and roasted nuts, enhanced by its slightly higher strength of 47% abv.

A limited number of each are on offer during the month of May 2017 so, if you want to try award-winning cognacs that are fabulously different, now’s your chance.  And if you’ve got a big birthday or anniversary coming up, they are ideal for 30th or 50th celebrations too.

New Hermitage Vintage Cognac Releases

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, The Bottle Story and tagged

straight sided still head producing vintage cognacDavid has been in France again looking for more wonderful cognacs to add to the Hermitage Vintage Cognac stable. The latest introduction is a fabulous 30 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac with rich nut, spice and coffee flavours.

He also sourced a superb 1987 vintage which was distilled 30 years ago and is now released at the slightly higher strength of 47%.   Retailing at about £130 it compares very favourably to the recently released Hine 1987 which has an RRP of £245. Both were produced when a very cold winter was followed by a wet spring and scorching summer – perfect conditions for producing great vintage cognac. Our latest Hermitage Cognacs were produced on a narrow, straight-sided still head which minimises rectification and maximises flavour.

 

Martell Aim to Be Different

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, Famous Cognac Houses and tagged

cask finishPreviously we reported that Martell had introduced their first non-chill filtered cognac. Since then they have also released an ‘Intense Heat Cask Finish’. Adding a finish to cognac is new territory for the industry as the production process is heavily regulated by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC). Martell, however, have produced their ‘finish’ within current rules. Their ‘Intense Heat Cask Finish’ refers to the intense burning of the oak barrels used for ageing. The result is a cognac with intensely woody tones. Toasting the oak barrels to varying degrees has always been an accepted part of cognac production so this ‘Intense Heat Cask Finish’ should be allowable. In the spirits industry, the phrase ‘Adding a Finish’ usually applies to the use of other used barrels e.g. ones previously containing sherry – we wait to hear the BNIC view on that!

Another first for Martell is the launch of their single estate cognac – something that we have always championed. It is from Domaine de Charbonnière in the Borderies cru and available only at Hong Kong International Airport. Sadly it is neither a vintage nor does it have an age statement so whilst it may be single domain, it remains a blend of unknown age.

Our own single estate cognac from the Borderies cru is a vintage from 1914 :

Centenarian 1917 Cognac

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1917 Limited Edition CognacFor those with a century to celebrate this Limited Edition Hermitage 1917 Cognac is a must. Harvested during the First World War, this Grande Champagne cognac is powerful and complex and will delight any cognac lover. Only 27 bottles are available and for the month of April 2017, each one has an astonishing £100 OFF. Other vintages available for special anniversaries or birthdays this year include Hermitage 1967 Petite Champagne Cognac, Chateau Montifaud 1977 Petite Champagne Cognac and Hermitage 1987 Grande Champagne Cognac.  If 1947 is the vintage you’re after, it will be arriving on our shelves very soon.  For even more choice, take a look at our vast range of vintage armagnacs and calvados too.

New Cognacs In Stock

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New CognacsNew cognacs have been arriving in our stores over the past few months.  The latest addition to our Hermitage Cognacs range is an exceptional vintage 1956. Beautifully balanced with a long finish this is certainly a cognac to savour and for those wanting just a taster, it is also available in 20Cl bottles.

We recently supplied our Hermitage 1975 Cognac in magnums for a very special order. Looking mighty impressive, they tasted even better. One of our most successful vintages, the 1975 is coming to an end so if you need to replenish your stocks then please do so right away.

The Christmas winner however, was our Hermitage Cognac Café 20. It was featured in the Sunday papers where TV presenter and award-winning wine expert Olly Smith commented “this is as good as it gets and it’s mind-blowing with after-dinner coffee”. Have you tried it yet?

Why Chill Filter Cognac?

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Non-chill cognacPernod Ricard has launched the first Martell non-chill filtered cognac. Chill filtering is a process routinely employed by the larger cognac houses. It is a means of clarifying the appearance of the drink as it forces the spirit and water to mix more quickly and effectively. (The effect of mixing spirit with water can be seen when water is added to whisky as it often becomes cloudy). Young, mass-produced cognacs need to be reduced with water quickly to prepare them for market so chill-filtering is a useful tool – although it is only effective on spirits with an abv of less than 46 degrees. The temperature of the cognac is reduced to between -10 and +4 degrees to assist reduction and a fine absorption filter is also used to take out very small particles. This filtration reduces haziness but also captures some of the esters and fatty acids which are produced during the production and ageing process. Most experts claim that this filtering affects the flavour since some of these esters and fatty acids form into congeners (flavouroids) which add flavour. We do not chill filter at Hermitage Cognacs as all our cognacs are reduced naturally or over a very long period of time.  Take our Hermitage 1917 for example – distilled 100 years ago.

The Bottle Story – What’s in a Cognac Label?

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We are used to seeing unusual designs of cognac bottles and carafes to catch the eye (many of which have been featured here in The Bottle Story) but recently some big producers have taken to using a bespoke cognac label, designed by a well-known artist, to make their products stand out on the shelves. Hennessy, in particular, must feel that their products are in need of a boost and American tattoo artist Scott Campbell has created the latest artwork. Its purpose, presumably, is to attract younger customers who, in the last 10 years, have embraced the tattoo culture and made it the latest ‘must-have’. Another of Hennessy’s labels was designed by the Italian duo, Carnovsky. A far more colourful affair, this was probably commissioned primarily for the American market. Many of the big houses’ products contain young, blended cognacs which can be difficult to differentiate by taste. These labels are certainly eye catching and will probably serve their purpose of making the bottle stand out from the crowd. Here at Hermitage we take a different approach. Our product, its label and packaging is designed to exude luxury but in a classical, tasteful way. We know that our customers buy Hermitage for the fabulous flavours and individuality of each cognac so gimmicky labels that might look good on the bar, or the sideboard at home, wouldn’t only convey the wrong impression, they’re just not necessary.  Take a look at our cognacs here.

A Small Taste of Hermitage Cognac Heaven in 20cl Bottles

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Hermitage 20cl bottlesThe first 20cl bottles of Hermitage Cognac are being launched.  This new concept has been designed to suit the needs of many; connoisseurs seeking to taste some of our more expensive cognacs but also individuals wishing to buy sufficient for a small gathering such as a dinner party or to avoid waste at a cosy function. These sophisticated and exciting bottles are new to the industry and another ‘1st’ For Hermitage Cognacs. Currently a selection of our cognacs are available in 20cl bottles from Hedonism Wines and our website and shortly we will be releasing the new Cognac Café 20 in this format. Ideal to drink with a late morning coffee or as a ‘digestif’ before retiring, the 20cl Cognac Café 20 will be the perfect accompaniment to any occasion.

Our Latest Vintage Hermitage Cognac Releases

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60 year old cognacBrand new on the shelves this month is our latest Hermitage 60 Year Old Cognac. This remarkable cognac comes from the top cru, known as Grande Champagne, and has been aged in oak casks for more than 60 years.  At a strength of 40.5%, it has autumnal aromas including tobacco, ginger and clove. Its flavours of truffle, clove, liquorice, burnt toffee and dried fig with a finish of dried mandarin are perfect for enjoying with a fine cigar or to celebrate any 60th Birthday or Anniversary occasion.

Working closely with our customers, we have established that there is a growing café bar culture for cognacs.  At Hermitage we are the first cognac house to recognise this need and we have perfected the ideal cognac called Hermitage Cognac Café 20.  This rich mocha and roasted walnut flavoured cognac is more than 20 years old and comes from the top cognac cru, Grande Champagne.  During the second half of the 17th century the London “café society” people were experimenting with new drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks like coffee and tea were new but some liked more robust drinks like port, sherry and a spirit from a small town in Western France called Cognac. Today, Hermitage produce a whole range of cognacs with age statements that are aged naturally, with individual flavours, styles, strengths and ages.  Cognacs, the likes of which you will never have tasted before.

Hermitage 1967 CognacWe are very excited about this summer’s vintage cognac release, the Hermitage Petite Champagne 1967.  At 41% abv, this complex cognac has many charming and attractive qualities. It is mature yet youthful and light. There are flavours of wild cherry, mangosteen, toast, muscat, dried fig, allspice and even a hint of turmeric on the tail.  One cognac in a range of nearly thirty, this is a little piece of Hermitage pure bliss.