“There can be few spirits with such an illustrious pedigree and premium connotations as Cognac.” Following the last International Wine and Spirit’s Competition (IWSC) a list of the world’s six best cognacs was compiled. How very pleasing it was to read that our Hermitage 2008 Grande Champagne Cognac was listed as one of them. We have always known that this is a very special cognac. Relatively youthful for one from the premier cru, it is just 10 years old, single-cask, single-estate and very expensive, but it is also one in a million. The IWSC described it as “Fresh and powerful with a wealth of flavours delivered through a very expressive and complex set of aromas on the palate. Luscious leather, ginger and rancio notes are boldly evident and intricately balanced with cherry stones and warming spice.” Being single-cask, availability is diminishing fast so if you would like to taste it for yourself, don’t hang about. If you are interested in finding out more about single-cask cognacs take a look at our latest Technical Topic here.
The Wine Merchant & The Cognac Hunter
The Wine Merchant is the first trade magazine aimed solely at independent wine retailers and has been around for nearly 10 years. This month it published a double page spread featuring the founder of Hermitage Cognac, David Baker, and some of Hermitage’s finest cognacs. Dubbed ‘The Cognac Hunter’, his story is summed up in the introduction:
David Baker uses his network of connections in the Grande Champagne region and beyond to seek out the kinds of long-aged, single estate cognacs that tell the story of this classic brandy in a far more evocative and compelling way than the big brands ever could. You can read the full article here on pages 52 & 53.
Also in the press this week, Will Lyons of The Sunday Times wrote about ‘Special Drinks for Special Birthdays’ and concluded that “David Baker at Brandyclassics has assembled an impressive array of old spirits to choose from”. The ‘Best bottles to give as gifts’ is something we know all about at Brandyclassics.
Ultra-Premium Cognacs Are The Latest Collectibles
Regular readers of our Blog will know that we have often compared the astronomical prices of aged and vintage whiskies to the far more modest cognac equivalents, but there are signs that this could be about to change. Owen Bellwood, writing for The Spirits Business, has been investigating the latest trends in the cognac market and has published his findings here, on page 26. Perhaps whisky is pricing itself out of the market, and collectors are looking further afield for their investments, but we have recently seen a rapid increase in the demand for ultra-premium pre-1900 cognacs. This includes those that were produced in the pre-Phylloxera era and those that have been in cask for many decades.
We have been aware of the changing direction of the cognac market for a number of years and in part, it has given rise to our Hermitage Paradis Cognacs range. The MD, David Baker, is quoted in The Spirits Business magazine on page 30 as believing that spirits produced by masters of their craft, in creative ways, can become some of the best examples available. The vintage he cites is the Hermitage 1885 which is “out of this world”.
Hermitage 1990 GC Cognac Wins Masters Medal
The Cognac Masters 2021 results have just been announced and we are thrilled to report that our new Hermitage 1990 Grande Champagne Cognac, presented at 47% abv, received a Masters Medal. Only 9 of these, the highest possible medal, were awarded in the entire competition so this is particularly pleasing. You can read about all the results here, in the May 2021 edition of The Spirits Business magazine starting on page 49.
Judges’ comments include:
Complex and superbly balanced ~~~ Silky smooth texture ~~~ Really long and expressive
In other news, we have recently added Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac to our portfolio and it will replace the Provenance 10 Grande Champagne Cognac in the range.
Recent Press Articles Featuring Hermitage Cognacs


Lots to report from the press recently.
Will Lyons, writing for The Sunday Times, said “Hermitage 1995 Grande Champagne Cognac – An extraordinary cognac sniffed out by David Baker at Brandyclassics, this is one to treasure and bring out on special occasions. It has an intricate range of flavours, from mocha and dark chocolate to toasty walnut. Enjoy sparingly and it will keep for years.”
Henry Jeffreys, the Features Editor for Master of Malt, has written up his Hermitage Cognac Tasting Notes featuring the 1990 41%abv (which has since sold out), 1952, 1960, 1920 and the 1885 which he described as “Simply breath taking”. His in depth article can be read here.
Club Oenologique featured our Cognac Trophy winner, Hermitage 1960 Grande Champagne Cognac, describing it as “A seamlessly crafted and decadently enjoyable palate.” This was followed by a superb piece from Joel Harrison about ‘The cognac bounty hunter’, our very own MD, David Baker. Describing how the company came to be and our most exciting cognac finds to date, you can read it in its entirety here.
European Brandy Tariff Suspended by US
We are delighted to inform you that, the United States of America has suspended the 25% Tariff on imported European brandies that was levied at the beginning of this year. It had been hoped that the recent change of administration would look more favourably on European goods so this ‘Tariff Suspended’ news is great for our industry.
All our products, with an abv of 40%, or above, and which originated in the European Union, were affected.
Initially the Tariff suspension will be for four months but we are all keeping our fingers crossed that it will become a permanent arrangement.
The Bottle Story – Frapin 750 How Much?
Frapin has just released a limited edition run of this unique presentation to celebrate 750 years since the family’s oldest member was born in Cognac in 1270. We do applaud these small family firms who have passed on their skills from generation to generation and not taken the easy route of selling to the ‘big four’. The Frapin 750 contains some very old Grande Champagne eau de vie, albeit blended, and is presented in a Baccarat crystal carafe decorated with Belle Epoch-like grapevine etchings. Just 21 of these presentations have been produced – to represent the 21 generations of the Frapin family – now that really is history in a bottle. It oozes quality and style but so does the price tag. One of these will set you back an astounding £43,956. That’s equivalent to 25 of our Hermitage Marie Louise Cognacs in crystal decanters!
Hefty price tags like this are, however, quite common-place in the world of whisky. Two recent releases demonstrate that, even without 750 years of family firm history, large sums of money can be charged. Glengoyne and Glenfarcas have just released limited-edition whiskies, in engraved crystal decanters and luxury presentation boxes. The Glengoyne 50 yo single malt costs £22,500 and the Glenfarcas 60 yo single cask, £19,500. Compare these prices to equivalent cognacs (Hermitage 50 yo @ £400 and Hermitage 60 yo @ £530) and it is difficult to see where they come from. Market forces must play their part but demand for old cognacs is on the rise so perhaps soon, their prices will too.
Cognac – the Tourist Destination
The Cognac region of The Charente and Charente Maritime has always been a popular tourist destination as it enjoys a warm, hospitable climate that borders the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe not all visitors are aware of its long, fascinating history as the producer of the King of Brandies but that is, hopefully, about to change. The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), Cognac’s regulatory body, has launched a project for local producers, restauranteurs, leisure professionals, coopers and hoteliers to make the appellation more accessible when travel and tourism open up again. By offering a wider range of visitor experiences, it hopes to promote Cognac as a unique tourist destination. The General Director of the BNIC said “Visiting the region is a great way to meet the women and men who daily work in the vineyards, distilleries or cellars to create this wonderful product. Their expertise is part of the French cultural heritage we are proud of.” He is hoping that this focus on tourism will attract new drinkers to the spirit, cognac, and give the opportunity to show case the improvements that have been made across the industry to increase sustainability. High quality products, with a story, are very much on trend right now so this could be the perfect timing to launch ‘Explore Cognac’.
Single Cask Cognac – Whyever Not?
Single Cask is a term well known in the whisky industry, it certainly gives a product increased status and price but why is that? The phrase Single Cask suggests a unique glimpse into a particular set of circumstances that has given rise to a one-off personality. The whisky may be from a certain year where the distillery was using a particular mashing regime, yeast strain or set of stills. It may have been stored in a warehouse that is known to provide certain conditions. The barrel itself is unique as no two trees are identical and coopers’ techniques differ, so the flavours that develop will be only found in that cask. Every distillery has its official range of bottlings which are created to please as many people as possible, but a Single Cask captures the stage before the identity is lost in the blend. For distillery fans, this takes their experience a step further. Rarity imparts value and so a Single Cask will be highly sought after.
Many of these special characteristics can also be found in cognac production. Every year the very best cognacs are selected for long-term ageing, rather than joining the thousands of others destined to be blended. The cellarmasters’ skills are paramount in bringing these chosen nectars to optimum maturity and many variations to the ageing process maybe employed. So why are these cognac vintages or age statements not designated as Single Cask? Perhaps the answer lies in the finer detail.
Amazingly, an industry-wide definition of Single Cask does not exist, but The Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) is clear on the rules that it enforces. They feel that to be classed as Single Cask, the spirit must remain in the same barrel from the moment the spirit is filled until the moment it is bottled, without any revatting or finishing. Therefore “a sherry finished single cask whisky” is not acceptable but a “single cask whisky finished in a sherry butt” is. It is accepted however, that all whiskies will move from one barrel to another in the early stages of maturation, it is what happens next that is important.
The process of moving from new to old wood in the initial stage also applies to cognac so, when a vintage is kept in the same old oak barrel throughout its maturation, it will be Single Cask. A problem arises though when there are multiple barrels of the same vintage which may be mixed for bottling. Unlike in the whisky industry, barrel numbering is not common. Cognacs can also be moved to different barrels during the ageing process. The cellarmaster seeks to guide the spirit’s maturation path by using newer and older oak barrels at different stages. This can really benefit the final quality and flavour of the cognac so is deemed to be more important than any benefits derived from being Single Cask. The rules of cognac production are strict; it may not be put into barrels that have held other types of spirit, but it may be put into previously used cognac barrels. The BNIC’s definition of Single Cask is a cognac that has always been stored in the same barrel so, the phrase could indeed be used to describe a particular barrel of cognac, but not as often as you might expect.
Hermitage Paradis 1885 GC Cognac – A Masterpiece
Our range of Hermitage Paradis Cognacs continues to expand with this stunning arrival from 1885. Perhaps the best cognac we have ever tasted, this masterpiece will never be repeated.
Distilled in the year that the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York, a gift from the French people, it has been aged for a staggering 110 years. The much sought after ‘rancio’ in this cognac is incredibly intense and rich. It was brought about by long barrel ageing, in two different barrels, which has created an unbelievable ‘double rancio’ effect. The aroma is remarkable and the flavour, sensational. Many of the aromas are also found in the flavours. The molasses, cherry and roasted walnut are all there but also turmeric and black truffle, medlar, allspice, fig, cocoa and almond.
Released with very limited supply, there are only a few bottles remaining already …..