Cognac and Brandy drinking from a new boy at this game
Discussion
Mobile Chicane said:
I'm told that any cognac of VSOP ilk and above will be a blend of lots of different cognacs of varying vintages to ensure consistency of a house 'style'.
Chemistry can be involved too, and the way to tell is to leave a blob on a glass surface to evaporate. An unadulterated spirit will leave no residue at all. A brown stain or greasy residue mean that either caramel has been added (to colour), or glycerine (to soften).
Thanks Mobile, I think that is true after looking at the website of Camus last night, so that sounds fine. As I mentioned I am new to this game so some assumptions and ideas might be wrong or need pointing out, anyone feel free.Chemistry can be involved too, and the way to tell is to leave a blob on a glass surface to evaporate. An unadulterated spirit will leave no residue at all. A brown stain or greasy residue mean that either caramel has been added (to colour), or glycerine (to soften).
Now, what did it taste like? Well the smell was more like a sherry than the lighter smell before from the other less aged cognac's, probably unsurprising given the age and hue, and the taste was similar. Very smooth but more sherry like before the warmth of the alcohol. Golly, I sound like that guy off the Cointreau adverts -
"The wamrth of uz French and ze cool of you English" actually that sounds more like Herr Flick. I digress.
So, was it better than the Remy Martin Couer de Cognac ? Well no, not better or worse, just different. It is very drinkable though. Just refreshing my memory as we speak...
One thing I have to say is I can see why Lefty 2 drams said there was not as much going on compared to whisky, I think he is right and it is a less 3Dimensional spirit. Which actually might be quite good for the wallet. Don't want to get carried away.
Andy
You'll get used to drinking neat spirits, and then you'll be in proper trouble.
As I'm sitting here hung over to s
t from copious amounts of alcohol last night, I feel like being hypocritical and recommending you lay off it for a bit and see how you get on 
Alternatively, go the other way. Drink a weaker lager. You'll probably find yourself peeing it away before it can do you major harm!
As I'm sitting here hung over to s
t from copious amounts of alcohol last night, I feel like being hypocritical and recommending you lay off it for a bit and see how you get on Alternatively, go the other way. Drink a weaker lager. You'll probably find yourself peeing it away before it can do you major harm!
Murph7355 said:
You'll get used to drinking neat spirits, and then you'll be in proper trouble.
As I'm sitting here hung over to st from copious amounts of alcohol last night, I feel like being hypocritical and recommending you lay off it for a bit and see how you get on
Alternatively, go the other way. Drink a weaker lager. You'll probably find yourself peeing it away before it can do you major harm!
Problem is I can't taste them anymore. This bottle of XO brandy seems to be very empty. You are right. I might go to drinking something really horrible like advocat.As I'm sitting here hung over to s
t from copious amounts of alcohol last night, I feel like being hypocritical and recommending you lay off it for a bit and see how you get on Alternatively, go the other way. Drink a weaker lager. You'll probably find yourself peeing it away before it can do you major harm!
Andy
I agree with Lefty. Cognac is much of a muchness, and much as I loathe cheap blended whisky, there's a panoply of flavour experiences to be had with the 'proper' stuff. I like a nice salty Islay malt myself. Goes wonderfully with smoked salmon.
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I am sooooooo turning into my father. Erk!
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I am sooooooo turning into my father. Erk!
Edited by Mobile Chicane on Saturday 2nd January 00:36
For me the thing about Cognac is that if I'm going to drink it, I only drink decent stuff. I can do mediocre whisky, vodka etc but Cognac must be top notch or it just tastes like st. Hennessey Paradis is lovely or for a lot less money, try Frapin Cigar Blend (a lot of which goes into Hennessey Paradis I'm told). Expensive but sublime.
t. Hennessey Paradis is lovely or for a lot less money, try Frapin Cigar Blend (a lot of which goes into Hennessey Paradis I'm told). Expensive but sublime.I've not had a whisky tonight, my missus opened the Remy XO I bought her at Christmas and it would have been rude of me not taste it.
It's not bad in all honesty and it smells wonderful. I just can't get my head around the fact that while it tastes pretty good, it doesn't taste of much compared to a scotch of a similar (or even half the) price.
I think it may be wasted on me
It's not bad in all honesty and it smells wonderful. I just can't get my head around the fact that while it tastes pretty good, it doesn't taste of much compared to a scotch of a similar (or even half the) price.
I think it may be wasted on me
Double trouble.
Took all my copper to that machine at the supermarkets that turns them into beer tokens and, et voila, £16.72. My daughter's piggy bank sure comes in handy at times.
So two bottles tonight :-
Two Sainsbury's XO grade stuff. I'll be comparing them to the Tesco's XO I got over Christmas. The bottle on the right is lighter in colour than the left but that may be due to it is in a thinner bottle. The one on the left had no dimple either, even though it is more expensive. Normally a bigger dimple means more fun So that means looks wise and dimple wise it looks cheaper .. however looking at prices
Sainsburys XO Cognac = £18 per 50 cl
Sainsburys XO = £14.50 per 70cl
Tesco's XO = £25 per 70cl
So the normal XO Sainsburys is same price as standard VS stuff from the main brands.
Also to note that the XO was 5 years old minimum, but Wiki says XO should be 6 minimum.... hmmm, so not really XO. The XO Cognac was 7 years and got from one blend rather than a mixture like the Tesco's one was.
So how did they taste?
Well the cheap XO just tasted like the normal brands VS range, it did not wear it's XO with pride, it was lightweight and just the same. If it was a lot cheaper I would recommend it, but as it was the same then it is nothing different and nothing to shout about.
The XO Cognac was interesting though. Similar to the Tesco's XO it had a good ratio of smoothness to alcohol, however being lighter it was more wine than sherry. Which you prefer more is down to your own tongue but it was a good ratio of the taste v the alcohol after taste. It did remind me more of the Couer De Cognac than the Tesco's XO but was a lot cheaper, which is best of those two is hard to remember though, the Couer might have been blunted by time.
Having said all that, still going for the Tesco's XO at the moment whilst I am still bottom feeding and working my way upwards.
Andy
Took all my copper to that machine at the supermarkets that turns them into beer tokens and, et voila, £16.72. My daughter's piggy bank sure comes in handy at times.
So two bottles tonight :-
Two Sainsbury's XO grade stuff. I'll be comparing them to the Tesco's XO I got over Christmas. The bottle on the right is lighter in colour than the left but that may be due to it is in a thinner bottle. The one on the left had no dimple either, even though it is more expensive. Normally a bigger dimple means more fun
So that means looks wise and dimple wise it looks cheaper .. however looking at pricesSainsburys XO Cognac = £18 per 50 cl
Sainsburys XO = £14.50 per 70cl
Tesco's XO = £25 per 70cl
So the normal XO Sainsburys is same price as standard VS stuff from the main brands.
Also to note that the XO was 5 years old minimum, but Wiki says XO should be 6 minimum.... hmmm, so not really XO. The XO Cognac was 7 years and got from one blend rather than a mixture like the Tesco's one was.
So how did they taste?
Well the cheap XO just tasted like the normal brands VS range, it did not wear it's XO with pride, it was lightweight and just the same. If it was a lot cheaper I would recommend it, but as it was the same then it is nothing different and nothing to shout about.
The XO Cognac was interesting though. Similar to the Tesco's XO it had a good ratio of smoothness to alcohol, however being lighter it was more wine than sherry. Which you prefer more is down to your own tongue but it was a good ratio of the taste v the alcohol after taste. It did remind me more of the Couer De Cognac than the Tesco's XO but was a lot cheaper, which is best of those two is hard to remember though, the Couer might have been blunted by time.
Having said all that, still going for the Tesco's XO at the moment whilst I am still bottom feeding and working my way upwards.
Andy
Right, a bit of lull in proceedings whilst I let my liver recover after Christmas but back in action now.
First a bottle of Calvados. For those people who are not a brandy connossewer like wot I am, calvados is brandy made with apples. A bit like making a cup of tea but instead using coffee. Here it is
What was it like? We'll I could taste the apples but to be honest that was not a good thing, it made it taste rather rough and acidic rather than the smoothness of the grapes, it took me back to the bottle of Tesco's Napoleon brandy that I drank first and consequently used instead of t-cut on the rear panel of the car. Terribly horrible.
Tonight I was going to final make the plunge for Tesco's basic. This is even cheaper than the Napoleon, and the Napoleon comes in plastic bottles let me remind you. Just couldn't bring myself to buy it though, quite frankly I was rather scared I might drink it and end up sounding like Lee Marvin singing Wandering Star.
So I went to Sunny Spain
Ola! Donde est los asseos por favor senor ?
The label has a very Spanish look to it, ie cheap and cheerful, but I can let you know the taste is pretty good, nice and smooth and quite grapy. Grapey? Full of grapes. Nice interplay between the smoothness leading into the warmth. Perhaps not quite as much pure brandy taste as the better French ones above. Drinkable though.
Andy
First a bottle of Calvados. For those people who are not a brandy connossewer like wot I am, calvados is brandy made with apples. A bit like making a cup of tea but instead using coffee. Here it is
What was it like? We'll I could taste the apples but to be honest that was not a good thing, it made it taste rather rough and acidic rather than the smoothness of the grapes, it took me back to the bottle of Tesco's Napoleon brandy that I drank first and consequently used instead of t-cut on the rear panel of the car. Terribly horrible.
Tonight I was going to final make the plunge for Tesco's basic. This is even cheaper than the Napoleon, and the Napoleon comes in plastic bottles let me remind you. Just couldn't bring myself to buy it though, quite frankly I was rather scared I might drink it and end up sounding like Lee Marvin singing Wandering Star.
So I went to Sunny Spain
Ola! Donde est los asseos por favor senor ?
The label has a very Spanish look to it, ie cheap and cheerful, but I can let you know the taste is pretty good, nice and smooth and quite grapy. Grapey? Full of grapes. Nice interplay between the smoothness leading into the warmth. Perhaps not quite as much pure brandy taste as the better French ones above. Drinkable though.
Andy
Mobile Chicane said:
I like a nice salty Islay malt myself. Goes wonderfully with smoked salmon.
In that case may I direct you to the current topic of discussion on the whisky thread - a veritable bargain bottle of Bruichladdich Waves. Not so peaty, but everso salty! Sorry about that, please carry on with your brandy banter.
A911DOM said:
Mobile Chicane said:
I like a nice salty Islay malt myself. Goes wonderfully with smoked salmon.
In that case may I direct you to the current topic of discussion on the whisky thread - a veritable bargain bottle of Bruichladdich Waves. Not so peaty, but everso salty! Sorry about that, please carry on with your brandy banter.
Shall we raid the real ale thread, steal the twigs out of their pint glasses and hide small rodents in their beards?
jamiebae said:
A911DOM said:
Mobile Chicane said:
I like a nice salty Islay malt myself. Goes wonderfully with smoked salmon.
In that case may I direct you to the current topic of discussion on the whisky thread - a veritable bargain bottle of Bruichladdich Waves. Not so peaty, but everso salty! Sorry about that, please carry on with your brandy banter.
Shall we raid the real ale thread, steal the twigs out of their pint glasses and hide small rodents in their beards?
As for that hideous ditch water the beardy jumper wearing folk drink - strange lot
Lefty Two Drams said:
I'll be interested to see if there are any brandy fans here who also have a palate for whisky.
There is always a bottle of Remy in my cupboard and it gets an outing about once a week.
I am more into Lowland & Speyside than Islays unlike much of the whisky thread contributors.
Also quite partial to Gin and have quite a few of them too (which reminds me I got a bottle for Christmas that I forgot about)
Brandy and coke has been my choice drink for many years now. In recent years, thanks to other half's father, I have grown a love for XO and good Brandy in general.
I can't really comment on these supermarket brands that are being discussed above but I can't see how they can compare to the gorgeous Cognac of Hennesey XO, a blend of the finest Eau-de-Vie aged up to 35 years. For the price I personally don't think it gets much better, I'd call the Remy Martin XO on second spot but at a few clear lengths behind. As far as the previously mentioned Camus XO goes, I find this a little harsh and more akin to a Cognac of lesser quality, but this is just my palate, I believe it's quite popular.
Here's my small collection at the moment, the Hennessey XO gets replaced regularly I've had the pleasure of tasting the Hennessey Paradis Extra Cognac but at £200++ a bottle its, well, expensive!
I don't care too much for the Bisquit XO, it was a gift and only tends to get drunk when I'm trying to prolong the life of the Hennesey and Remy Martin.
The Courvoisier and Martell are for mixing. The Normann Cognac glasses at the front are optional but come highly recommended, if only for the novelty factor of the rolling around themselves
Some favourites off the top of my head are Macallan, Glengoyne (heaven!) and Highland Park.
Back on topic I reckon the OP should stay clear of that low supermarket (poison) end and treat his palate to the wonderful notes of a decent XO or at least a decent VSOP of which I highly recommend the Remy Martin in my first pic.
Cheers!!
I can't really comment on these supermarket brands that are being discussed above but I can't see how they can compare to the gorgeous Cognac of Hennesey XO, a blend of the finest Eau-de-Vie aged up to 35 years. For the price I personally don't think it gets much better, I'd call the Remy Martin XO on second spot but at a few clear lengths behind. As far as the previously mentioned Camus XO goes, I find this a little harsh and more akin to a Cognac of lesser quality, but this is just my palate, I believe it's quite popular.
Here's my small collection at the moment, the Hennessey XO gets replaced regularly
I've had the pleasure of tasting the Hennessey Paradis Extra Cognac but at £200++ a bottle its, well, expensive!I don't care too much for the Bisquit XO, it was a gift and only tends to get drunk when I'm trying to prolong the life of the Hennesey and Remy Martin.
The Courvoisier and Martell are for mixing. The Normann Cognac glasses at the front are optional but come highly recommended, if only for the novelty factor of the rolling around themselves
Lefty Two Drams said:
I'll be interested to see if there are any brandy fans here who also have a palate for whisky.
I struggle with cognac or amagnac (and the apple stuff!)
I enjoy blends and malts probably just as much as I do Brandy. My collection isn't up to much and doesn't really reflect my favourites but as proof you can like both......;)I struggle with cognac or amagnac (and the apple stuff!)
Some favourites off the top of my head are Macallan, Glengoyne (heaven!) and Highland Park.
Back on topic I reckon the OP should stay clear of that low supermarket (poison) end and treat his palate to the wonderful notes of a decent XO or at least a decent VSOP of which I highly recommend the Remy Martin in my first pic.
Cheers!!
The interesting thing about congac is, coming from a whisky perspective, how fast and loose they can play with the age.
with a Scotch whisky, the age on the bottle is the minimum age of any whisky inside (be it from a single distillery or a hundred).
With Congac, VS is barely two years old, VSOP is four - this are Tequila ages!
XO is even wierder - minumum of six years....but much of it can be much older. However, you have no idea of what is what!
I've always been surprised (well, not surprised when you work out how anal the French can be for regulations!) that brandy houses dont do more with their aged stocks.
with a Scotch whisky, the age on the bottle is the minimum age of any whisky inside (be it from a single distillery or a hundred).
With Congac, VS is barely two years old, VSOP is four - this are Tequila ages!
XO is even wierder - minumum of six years....but much of it can be much older. However, you have no idea of what is what!
I've always been surprised (well, not surprised when you work out how anal the French can be for regulations!) that brandy houses dont do more with their aged stocks.
BrandyLaplace said:
Brandy and coke has been my choice drink for many years now. In recent years, thanks to other half's father, I have grown a love for XO and good Brandy in general.
I can't really comment on these supermarket brands that are being discussed above but I can't see how they can compare to the gorgeous Cognac of Hennesey XO, a blend of the finest Eau-de-Vie aged up to 35 years.
Back on topic I reckon the OP should stay clear of that low supermarket (poison) end and treat his palate to the wonderful notes of a decent XO or at least a decent VSOP of which I highly recommend the Remy Martin in my first pic.
Cheers!!
How can you be so stuck up about supermarket brands when your first sentence is that your choice brandy has coke in it? That's like Lefty2drams saying he likes Vimto in his whisky. I can't really comment on these supermarket brands that are being discussed above but I can't see how they can compare to the gorgeous Cognac of Hennesey XO, a blend of the finest Eau-de-Vie aged up to 35 years.
Back on topic I reckon the OP should stay clear of that low supermarket (poison) end and treat his palate to the wonderful notes of a decent XO or at least a decent VSOP of which I highly recommend the Remy Martin in my first pic.
Cheers!!
You then recommend me to stay clear of supermarket brands and go instead for Remy Martin VSOP. Thanks for that, in my very first post I talked about drinking Remy Martin Couer De Cognac which is at a higher level than the Remy Martin VSOP you drool over in your last sentence. Did you actually read all my posts?
High notes? Supermarket poison? You're just talking pretentious boll ocks I'm afraid. Pi ss off.
Andy
Edited by zakelwe on Thursday 11th February 21:56
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