2019 Q4 Spirited VA - 9

FEATURED SPIRIT

Cognac
Saluting France's signature brandy.
Save 20% off on these products on November 21.

C

ognac is a type of brandy named after
Cognac, a town in France. In fact, for
a brandy to be called Cognac, it must be
produced in the town or its surrounding
area. It also has to be made from a few
specified grapes, primarily Saint-Emilion.
Moreover, the spirit needs to be distilled
twice in copper pot stills, put in oak casks
from the regions of Troncais or Limousin
in France, and aged for a minimum of two
years. Here are a few of the fine cognacs
available at the Virginia ABC.
If you want to understand what good
cognac tastes like, these five options are
a good place to start.
Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal. Remy
Martin has been a family-run business since
1724, and today it's one of the largest, most
successful cognac-producers in the world.
The 1738 Accord Royal is a classic expression
of the spirit-smooth, full-bodied, creamy
and rich. The flavor is sweet but slightly
smoky, after aging in toasted oak barrels,
with notes of butterscotch, hazelnut, fig,
plum and chocolate.
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac. More than
200 years ago in the Parisian suburb of
Bercy, Emmanuel Courvoisier started a wine
and spirits business with Louis Gallois, the
mayor. Napoleon Bonaparte was a strong
supporter of cognac, and his nephew

Napoleon III awarded Courvoisier the title
Official Supplier to the Imperial Court.
Since then, their method of making fine
cognac has changed very little. VSOP
stands for Very Superior Old Pale, a blend
of the youngest brandy that's matured
for at least four years. Courvoisier VSOP
is a perfectly balanced cognac with hints
of peach, toasted almond, jasmine and
vanilla.
Martell VS Single Distillery. The
House of Martell, one of the earliest
cognac makers, was established in 1715
by Jean Martell. His family carried on the
tradition after his death and made the
cognac famous throughout the world.
They began exporting to England in 1814,
and were soon doing business throughout
Asia. Martell VS Single Distillery Cognac
has only been around for a few years,
but it's already made a big mark in the
industry. The taste is intense yet elegant
with notes of lemon, plum and apricot.
D'Usse VSOP. D'Usse, crafted in the
revered Chateau de Cognac, is unique
because it's made within two separate
climates. The dry cellar extracts an oaky,
zesty flavor from the cognac, and the
humid cellar contributes to more fruity
flavors. D'Usse VSOP is naturally aged for
a minimum of four and a half years. This
is a robust spirit with a subtle but hearty
taste-cinnamon, almond, blackcurrant
and honey.
Hennessey Black. In 1765 Richard
Hennessy founded the House of Hennessy
in Cognac, France. He and his partners
soon had a flourishing business exporting
brandy, much of it to Ireland where he
came from. Hennessey Black is a modern
cognac first made in 2009. Sold in a chic,
distinctive black bottle, it has a complex
well-rounded flavor profile including
citrus, grapes and jasmine.

- Andrew Madigan

The premium whiskey from
Tennessee as remarkable as the
story behind it. Double distilled
and charcoal mellowed for
astonishing smoothness, then
aged a minimum of eight years.

ALWAYS DRINK HONORABLY™. UNCLE
NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY, 50% ALC/VOL,
UNCLE NEAREST, SHELBYVILLE, TN. © 2019
UNCLE NEAREST, INC.
WWW.UNCLENEAREST.COM

SPIRITED VIRGINIA | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019 9
http://WWW.UNCLENEAREST.COM
2019 Q4 Spirited VA

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2019 Q4 Spirited VA
