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Tag: Hermitage Cognac

Hermitage Paradis 1880 Grande Champagne Cognac

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1880 Grande Champagne CognacOur latest nineteenth century cognac, Hermitage Paradis 1880 Grande Champagne Cognac, has arrived and what a stunner it is!

The period from 1870 to 1900 saw cognac houses in France produce some of their finest spirits, a few of which are still available today. This was a period before the official recognition of crus, however, it was widely accepted that the area north of the River Né and south of the town of Cognac produced some of the finest cognacs. The region later became known as Grande Champagne, the premier cru of the six cognac regions in The Charente.

Like so many of these old finds this exceptional cognac from 1880 has survived several generations, only to come to light after nearly 100 years of ageing in oak casks, slowly developing a unique and very special style and flavour. The cognac has reduced naturally, without the need for dilution or additives. One becomes aware of a deep rancio when bringing it to the nose and on the palate, there is an immediate richness and complexity. This has all the qualities of a seriously well aged cognac. Genuine history in a bottle and a pleasure to drink.

Christmas Gift Set of Award-Winning Cognac

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Christmas Gift SetThe Hermitage 45 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac is one of David’s favourite cognacs of all time so this year, we are offering it in a Christmas Gift Set comprising a 20Cl bottle and one of our exclusive Hermitage Cognacs tulip-shaped tasting glasses. It is a wonderful opportunity to try one of our Gold medal winning cognacs at a fraction of the price. These sets are in very limited supply so don’t hang about, order yours today.

The Hermitage 45 Year Old is a cognac of great distinction which must not be hurried as the many aromas and flavours need to be discovered slowly. Presented at 44% abv, it is a fabulous Christmas present for the cognac connoisseur.

IWSC 2019 Cognac Gold Medals

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IWSC 2019 cognac gold medalsThe IWSC 2019 Awards have just been announced and we are delighted to report that Hermitage Cognacs are once again amongst the winners with three cognac gold medals.

Leading the way is the Hermitage 1950 Grande Champagne Cognac which was awarded a GOLD OUTSTANDING medal.  ‘Classically good old cognac. Rancio to the fore, with a quite wonderful palate’   Judges’ comments

GOLD Medals were also awarded to two other Grande Champagne Cognacs:

Hermitage 1940 Cognac   ‘Wonderfully powerful aromas that absolutely typify good, old cognacs’   Judges’ comments

Hermitage 1945 Cognac   ‘The real personification of just how good and elegant old cognac can be’   Judges’ comments

40 Years In The Making – Grande Champagne Cognac

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40 yearsWe have spent decades looking for a 40 year old cognac that is worthy of the Hermitage label and so we are very excited to announce that it is here at last, aged for 40 years.

Aged with great care and expertise, this wonderful Grande Champagne cognac has been in an oak barrel for 40 years slowly maturing to its optimum condition. Flavours of plum and vanilla expand into lychee, pear, hay, plum and dried mandarin demonstrating complexity and individuality.

A great cognac for any occasion but especially for those celebrating a 40th anniversary or 40th birthday.  Take advantage of its special price throughout July 2019.

Hermitage 2008 Grande Champagne Cognac – Too Good To Miss ….

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2008A truly amazing cognac; Hermitage 2008 Grande Champagne Cognac is an extraordinary and totally unique one in a million find. It’s rich, spicy and full of intrigue.  There are flavours of dates, cinnamon, toffee and pistachio as well as exotic tones of rambutan, mango and passion fruit with a tail of sweet oranges.  A masterpiece of the distiller’s skills and the cellar master’s experience, it was aged in a small barrique which had previously aged some very old and rare cognac.  Smooth and full of rich flavours, that are undeniably worthy of a much older cognac, yet this is only 10 years old.  There are less than 200 bottles available.  Great balance, pure magic.

“For anyone looking for a very fine and special gift  …. the smallest glass is a sublime treat.”  Victoria Moore, The Daily Telegraph

 

Hermitage 1968 Petite Champagne Cognac

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1968 CognacJust arrived – Hermitage 1968 Petite Champagne Cognac. The mid 1960s produced some excellent cognacs from Petite Champagne and this one is no exception.  It needs to stand for a few minutes for the aromas of hazelnuts, brioche, bananas and gooseberries to develop.  This is a lighter style cognac, exhibiting many flavours initially of roasted hazelnuts with brioche and a hint of lime.  These develop slowly with banana, blueberries and a hint of strawberries with the zest of lime influencing the tail.  Distilled 50 years ago, it is a very special treat for someone celebrating their half century in 2018.  Cognacs that have been aged for decades have some very special qualities to enjoy.

Hermitage 1917 Limited Edition Vintage Cognac

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Hermitage 1917 Limited Edition Vintage CognacDistilled during World War I, this Hermitage 1917 Limited Edition Vintage Cognac is a connoisseur’s dream.  It was made in a 25hl still and aged in medium, toasted oak for about 18 months before being transferred to old barrels. Produced in the top cru, Grande Champagne, it is a complex and powerful cognac with many fine characteristics of lime, grapefruit peel, angelica, walnuts and spices and is a fine example of early twentieth century distillation and ageing.  A real treat for any cognac lover, just 29 bottles of this fabulous cognac are available.  There are a number of special offers currently running on this cognac, subject to availability, please contact the office for more information.

David on Technical Topics – Hermitage, A Fine Brand of Cognac

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

The other day we were discussing our corporate logo and I was wondering how many people have actually looked at it and studied its design?  The use of company logos by many organisations is really to distinguish themselves from other similar names or businesses.  In our case we have set out to achieve rather more than this as our logo represents a guarantee of quality. To understand this better we need to look at what each element of the logo represents.

The Hermitage Cognacs logo is based on some of the important features of the cognac industry.  In the middle is an oak barrel, the wood being represented by an oak tree.  Over the barrel is a Charentais alembic still head with its long swan’s neck coming from the top.  During the distillation process, the alcoholic steam escapes through this to a condenser where the steam is changed back into a liquid.

Many Cognaçais understand about ‘The Angels Share’ – the fine droplets of alcohol that escape into the atmosphere above the cellars where the valuable nectars are stored.  In our logo one of the angels holds a glass with ‘The Angels Share’ and the other holds the key to ‘Paradis’, the cellar where the finest and oldest cognacs are stored.

Lastly, the Latin inscription under the barrel reads “Adhuc hic Hesterna”.  This means “That of Yesterday is here Today” and is a fitting reference to top quality cognacs from a past era when quality was paramount to the distiller’s survival in his trade.

So, look out for the Hermitage Cognacs logo.  When you see it on the label you will know that you are buying the very finest quality cognac there is available.  You can read more about these wonderful cognacs here.

 

2. Frapin 25 yo and Hermitage 25 yo Cognac

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Frapin has launched a 25 year old vintage cognac, laid down in 1988 and bottled at 41.5% abv.  With style characteristic of a Grande Champagne cognac, just 1000 bottles have been produced retailing at £160 a bottle.  Compare this with our own award winning Grande Champagne cognacs – Hermitage Chez Richon 1988 which retails for just under £100 and Hermitage Segonzac 25 year old priced at just over £100.

The Cognac Process – Part 12. Establishment of a Cognac Regulatory Body

Posted / in The Cognac Process and tagged , , , , ,

Many of the established growers and merchants recognised the need to establish a body to control and manage the quality and sale of cognac. Much of the preliminary work had been done before the Second World War and a great deal of de facto independence from the government had already been gained – the Charente region had been divided into crus in 1909, as a natural consequence of the system of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée,  and  the geographical areas had been delimited by government in 1936. During the War a wine and eaux de vie bureau was created to try and protect the cognac stocks.  After the War this organisation was made official and The Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac or BNIC was established.  The existing Station Viticole’s cognac research laboratories were also placed under its wing and so the BNIC’s role of managing every aspect of cognac production and sales began.

Our Hermitage 1947 is a classic vintage cognac from the post war era, produced at the outset of the BNIC’s establishment.