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Tag: cognac

Different Types of Brandy

Posted / in Brandy Education, Learning about Brandy, News and tagged , , , , ,

Here at Brandyclassics and Bunch & Bushel we sell three main types of French brandy: cognac, armagnac and calvados.

Brandy is the generic name for spirits that have been made from fruit and produced all over the world.  But some brandies have very specific guidelines concerning their production.  So what is the difference between our products?  This can be summarised as follows:

brandyCOGNAC

  • Made from specific grape varieties
  • Produced in the Cognac region of France only
  • The eau de vie must be distilled twice
  • Distilled in copper pot Charentais stills.

ARMAGNAC

  • Made from specific grape varieties
  • Produced in the Armagnac region of France only
  • The eau de vie is distilled just once
  • Produced on a continuous Alembic still

CALVADOS

  • Made from apples
  • Produced in the Calvados region in Normandy
  • Top cru calvados must use the double distillation method on a pot still to be labelled Pays d’Auge
  • Column still distillation is mandatory to produce Calvados Domfrontais

Read more about the production of these wonderful French brandies on our Brandy Education page.  Another useful article outlining the differences between 12 types of brandy can be found here.

 

Current Prices Held Until 25th July

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , ,

PricesIt’s been a difficult time, financially, for everyone this year as prices increase.

With energy prices soaring and raw material shortages across the globe, all our producers are struggling with increased costs.

Unfortunately, these increased costs have inevitably been passed on to us and so we have had to review our prices too.

Our new prices will, therefore, come into effect on Monday 25th July.

So, if you have some summer birthday gifts to buy, now’s the time to do it!

Hermitage Cognacs toast four Master awards at Global Cognac Masters 2022

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, News from the Brandy Houses and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Cognac Masters 2022We are thrilled to announce that the Cognac Masters 2022 results have just been released and it was an exceptional medal haul for Hermitage.

A Master Medal was awarded to all four entrants, providing the best set of results for Hermitage ever.  These latest winners are:

Hermitage 10 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judge’s comments: Candied orange aromas. Really nice texture to this Cognac, hints of spice and rich fruitiness. Very sippable actually, would also be ideal for mixing.

Hermitage 25 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges’ comments: Superbly expressive nose with rancio, cedar wood and sandalwood, followed by deep dark dried fruits – raisins, prunes, sultanas – milk choc, vanilla, delicious juicy peach and plump sultana, deep woody spices add wonderful earthy notes, long finish that keeps going.

Hermitage 1975 Grande Champagne Cognac.   Judges’ comments: Very resinous palate, dry tannins, slightly saline. Hint of bitterness, stone fruits.

Hermitage 1972 Petite Champagne Cognac  Judges’ comments: Well-rounded palate- some citrus mid-palate, lifts everything. Nice combo of fruit, sweetness and spice – higher ABV holds well. Complex and well balanced.

The MD, David Baker, said

“We are really thrilled by this unprecedented recognition for our brandies. We work incredibly hard to source the very best cognacs we can find in the region, always from single estates and with age statements attached to them, and this is a tremendous reward for our efforts.  It also demonstrates that it’s possible to have exceptional quality, even in the more modest ranges such as with our 10 year old Grande Champagne (which won Master in the the VSOP – single estate flight).”

Read more about the competition results here:    The Cognac Masters 2022 results – The Spirits Business

Christmas Stock and Delivery Times

Posted / in News and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

ChristmasThis year we have expanded our online offering to include more spirits and liqueurs than ever before.  So, in addition to our award-winning cognacs, armagnacs and calvados, we now have organic whiskies and gins, liqueurs and grappas, eaux de vie and vermouths.  Do take a look at our website, we really do have Christmas gifts for everyone!

For Christmas deliveries to addresses in the UK please ensure your orders are with us by

12 noon on Wednesday 22nd December 2021

Generally, UK orders placed before 12 noon will be delivered the following working day but please be aware that although we are able to process orders within 1 working day, Parcelforce are not always able to meet their normal delivery times at present.   Our deliveries to America are also taking longer than usual due to a shortage of flights so all orders to the rest of the world should be placed as soon as possible please.

Cognac Sector Must Uphold Rules

Posted / in News, News from the Brandy Houses and tagged , , , , , ,

Cognac SectorThe Spirits Business’ Melita Kiely recently interviewed our MD, David Baker, about the cognac sector and this is what she had to say:

‘From music and wine to fine French spirits, David Baker has had quite the journey building his Hermitage Cognacs brand. He tells us why interest in Cognac is on the rise, and why the category should stay true to its rules and regulations.’

She discusses the merits of Hermitage Paradis 1885 Grande Champagne Cognac which was distilled in the year when Mark Twain published the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the US, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York on the French ship Isere and Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against rabies.  And finishes her article off by saying:

For Baker, quality will be the focal point of all of Hermitage Cognacs’ endeavours, and his quest to find and bottle the rarest, most expressive and complex Cognacs will continue. “At our end of the line, what we’re looking at is to find Cognacs that are beyond comparison, Cognacs that are so good people want to buy them for their own private usage, either as an investment or to keep for their families to be passed on for generations to come,” he says. And long may it continue.

You can read the full article here.

Hermitage 50 Year Old Wins The Cognac Trophy 2021

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

Cognac Trophy 2021Following our unprecedented tally of medals at the International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2021 we are delighted to announce that the Hermitage 50 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac has also been awarded the overall Cognac Trophy 2021.  it was the best cognac in the competition with a Gold Outstanding Award and a combined judges’ score of 99 points out of 100.

Our MD, who is one of the UK’s leading authorities on the subject, spoke as results were announced.

“We work tirelessly to find the very best that the region has to offer, from family growers who have these precious cognacs stashed away. Being awarded results like these is a welcome vindication of our standards and the outstanding quality which is available if you know where to look.”

Panel Chairman at the IWSC Joel Harrison praised the levels of quality in this round of judging.

“Given the history and heritage in Cognac, as well as the undoubted consistency of the major houses, it is a real joy through the IWSC judging to discover unique and individual bottlings such as these, packed with personality and flavour, that often defy their age. In a category with such high standards, it must be recognised how much of an achievement attaining medals and accolades of this standard is.”

The judges described our 50 Year Old (Grande Champagne) thus:

“Like opening an old leather-bound book or antique oak armoire. Figgy pudding and rich dark chocolate; wonderful rich spices and the bitterness of orange zest come through on the palate. Spicy but gentle and supremely dry.”

It is a magnificent cognac that will also make a wonderfully special 50th birthday or anniversary gift.

 

Father’s Day Gifts for Sunday 20th June 2021

Posted / in News and tagged , , , ,

Father'sCognac is known as the King of Brandies so makes the perfect gift this Father’s Day.  What better way to say “Thanks”, “I Love You” or just, “Enjoy”?

It’s been a tricky time for everyone these last 12 months so, in preparation for this year’s special day we have spectacular offers on three of our very own Hermitage Cognacs:

Hermitage 2010 Grande Champagne is our latest vintage, ideal for those wanting to try a new cognac.

Hermitage Cafe 20 Grande Champagne is dark and robust, perfect for the coffee lover.

Hermitage 40 Year Old Grande Champagne is a Master medal winner, the choice of connoisseurs.

And to tempt your taste buds even further, the Master of Malt Blog includes our 2021 Master Medal Winner, Hermitage 1990, as one of its Top Ten Cognacs for Father’s Day.  Enjoy!

IWSC – Six of the World’s Best Cognacs

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

Best Cognacs“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

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News and tagged , , , ,

wine merchantThe 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

Posted in News and tagged , , , ,

Ultra-premiumRegular 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”.