When you hear the word ‘cognac’, the image of brown leather in a dark smoky room full of crystal tumblers and old school luxury fill your mind. This image is exactly why most people do not choose cognac as their drink of choice. However, now that cognac has started to break into the mainstream brandy and cocktail scene, cognac has become more and more accessible, thus more popular.
Here are our picks for the top cognacs in the world to add to your collection!
What is cognac?
First off, what is cognac exactly? Basically, cognac is a type of brandy that is produced from the distillation of white wine. To qualify as a cognac, the liquid has to be distilled twice using copper stills and aged in French oak barrels for at least two years.
Depending on the producers’ styles, cognac can be distilled with or without the lies or wine sediment.
Cognacs do not bear age labels. Instead, they are categorized based on the minimum ages of the eau de vies of the blend. Legally defined categories of cognac include the V.S. (eau de vies of a minimum two years), V.S.O.P. (eau de vies of minimum four years), Napoleon (eau de vies of minimum six years) and X.O. (eau de vies of minimum ten years).
Unlike other types of alcohol like whisky, cognac is very regulated, particularly to its Appellation of Origin. It can be made from three different white grapes – Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard.
Traditionally enjoyed as an aperitif or digestif, nowadays, there are cognacs which are produced specifically with cocktails in mind.
Top Cognac Brands
The top cognac brands in the world have a long history of producing quality and delicious cognacs. Among these brands are:
Hennessy
Founded: 1765
Founder: Richard Hennessy
The Hennessy cognac house is a household name. It is no wonder that the term ‘pass the Henny’ is such a popular saying in modern times. The Hennessy distillery currently produces about roughly 40% of the world’s cognac supply as it has an extremely wide and versatile portfolio of top cognacs. In other words, the Hennessy is a reliable cognac supplier and getting a bottle of Hennessy is knowing what you’re getting – quality.
The Hennessy X.O. has built such a reputation over 150 years that it has achieved legendary status. Some people even proclaim that the Hennessy X.O. is the first XO produced. Now, it is a top cognac brand that is accessible to almost everyone and acts as the perfect introduction to the world of cognac.
Hennessy’s range of cognacs includes the legendary Hennessy X.O., Hennessy V.S. and Hennessy V.S.O.P..
Martell
Founded: 1715
Founder: Jean Martell
The Martell house has over 300 years of history and is a top cognac brand that is just as big, if not bigger, than Hennessy. Martell is the oldest of all the active cognac houses. Offering quality craftsmanship and a broad range of cognacs, each of a different flavour and purpose, you can select almost any bottle to be pleasantly surprised.
Chances are, you have seen the Martell VSOP Cognac at a bar or upscale lounge before. However, if you take a deeper dive into the world of top cognacs, you will discover the Martell Cordon Bleu, a premium XO blend that marries 10 to 25 year vintages from grapes from four regions. The French president even gifted the legendary Cordon Bleu to Queen Elizabeth II when she made her first official visit to France in 1957. Rest assured that the Martell Cordon Bleu is synonymous with the highest standards of quality cognac.
Other Martell cognacs you should definitely try are the Martell VSOP Red Barrels and Martell XO for a smooth and perfectly balanced yet affordable cognac.
Hine
Founded: 1763
Founder: Thomas Hine
Maison Hine is a cognac producer that has been around for centuries. At the core of this top cognac brand’s beliefs is that great cognac is, above all, great white wine. This belief is fundamental in the creation of the balanced and consistent cognacs that Hine produces. With their master production techniques, this top cognac house has come up with distinctive bottles, with no two releases in the Hine Vintage Collection being the same.
Classic varieties of cognac from Hine included the Rare collection which is blended from 20 different eaux-de-vie from Grande and Petite Champagne grapes. Another option for a top cognac from this brand is the Cigar Reserve. The previous wood and sweet cinnamon notes are absolutely delectable.
A truly exceptional cognac by Hine is the Talent. The Talent uses 50 different and fully mature eaux-de-vie. Described as not just a cognac but an experience, the Talent de Thomas Hine Cognac is served in a beautiful decorative crystal carafe signed by Baccarat.
Courvoisier
Founded: 1835
Founder: Felix Courvoisier
The Courvoisier is a famous cognac house recommended by everyone, including Napoleon Bonaparte. What does Napoleon have to do with Courvoisier? Well after he visited the distillery in 1811, Napoleon reportedly began to send this cognac to troops during the Napoleonic Wars! When he was exiled, he requested for several casks of Courvoisier, according to legend.
The Courvoisier cognac was also chosen to celebrate the Eiffel Tower’s grand opening at the Universal Exhibition in 1889. Several historic figures such as Thomas Edison, Vincent Van Gogh and King Edward VII, attended that opening and drank this top cognac. As you can conclude, several celebrities have endorsed this top cognac brand over the years, for good reason too!
Using grapes from over 800 growers all around Grande and Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois, the wine is distilled on the lees and aged in hand-made barrels from 200 year old oak trees! The product is extremely fine cognac such as the Courvoisier V.S., Courvoisier XO, and Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif. There is also the L’Essence de Courvoisier®. If you manage to get your hands on this bottle, snap it up immediately as it is extremely rare.
Meukow
Founded: 1862
Founder: Augste-Christophe and Gustav Meukow
Meukow ranks as one of the most technically-advanced cognac houses in the world. Between each cognac expression from Meukow, is a different brilliance of balance and complexity.
It may seem strange that the brand Meukow, which is Russian, among classic French titles from other top cognac brands. This is due to Tsar Alexander II of Russia. In the 18th century, he sent Meukow founders Auguste-Christophe and Gustav Meukow to France so that they could secure cognac supply for the Russian court. However, the two brothers ended up establishing their own cognac house.
Meukow’s cognac bottles are very distinctive, with a black panther mascot adorning every bottle. This feline bottle has won the Pack d’Or award twice and symbolizes power, elegance and suppleness, all of which are characters of Meukow cognac.
Quite a few of Meukow’s cognacs are affordable, making them the top cognacs under RM300!
Rémy Martin
Founded: 1724
Founder: E. Rémy Martin
Yet another dominant name when it comes to top cognacs, Rémy Martin is right up there with iconic Hennessy, Martell and Courvoisier. Rémy Martin’s best expression, the Rémy Martin VSOP, is one of the top-selling VSOPs globally with notes of apricot, licorice, summer fruits and vanilla.
Rémy Martin also produced the world renowned Louis XIII, which is a blend of 1200 individual eaux-de-vie from the vineyards of Grande Champagne. Each of the eaux-de-vie have been aged anywhere from 40 to 100 years. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle of Louis XIII cognac, grab one immediately and don’t even think about using it in a cocktail!
However, the Rémy Martin XO is the top cognac brand’s signature. It is made from an expert blend of 400 eaux-de-vie and is absolutely lovely to drink.
Pierre Ferrand
Founded: 1702
Founder: Pierre Ferrand
Pierre Ferrand is known for its blends of cognac. Marrying vintages and using only 100% Grande Champagne vies, the cognacs are distilled on lees to create a wonderful body and flavour before the eaux-de-vie is matured in small barrels.
Producing high quality cognacs, Pierre Ferrand does not use the traditional VS, VSOP and XO classifications and uses its own unique designations. This is why some of the bottles produced are not technically official “cognac” though crafted from Grand Champagne grapes. Some, instead, prefer to refer to Pierre Ferrand as ‘artificial cognac’.
Camus
Founded: 1863
Founder: Jean-Baptiste Camus
Camus is a top cognac brand that has been kept in the family since its inception in 1863. Despite being around for more than a century, Camus has continued to innovate and shake things up!
Recently, Camus debuted new Camus VS, Camus VSOP and Camus XO statements, each of which bringing exceptional aromas and flavours. Drink it neat or mix the cognacs into cocktails. Both ways are wonderful.
Conclusion
If you are just starting out in exploring the cognac world and am unsure about where to start, the above recommended top cognac brands are a sure fire way to getting quality cognac. Try as many bottles from the cognac producers until you find your favourite bottle. Grab some rare cognacs at a cheap price from Whisky.my and have it delivered directly to you. Cheers!
