Cognac what does it taste like

The simple act of jotting down tasting notes will have you thinking more critically about the drink, thereby creating a closer relationship with it. In terms of storing the stuff, follow the general rules of wine and most alcohol. Cool and dark is best, especially after the bottle is opened.

Purists argue that the flavors may fade a bit after several weeks but with such high alcohol content, the lifespan is actually pretty long. If you really want to hold on to the flavor profile you enjoyed upon first sip, transfer the remaining spirit to a smaller bottle as you make a dent in the volume. The less air you have in the bottle the fuller the bottle , the less risk there is of oxidation.

The answer, of course, depends on the brand. For instance, Armagnac is often made using a column still while cognac can only be produced with a copper pot still. Otherwise, there are a number of eaux-de-vie de vin , which are distilled in a similar way to cognac but often unaged. Nevertheless, some aged grappas may occasionally be reminiscent of cognac. Unlike a variety of other liqueurs and spirits, cognac was never initially conceived as a medicinal aid. Indeed, it has always been regarded as a beverage for pleasure.

For example, cognac may contain sufficient antioxidants to improve heart and blood circulation as well as protect against either gallstones or type 2 diabetes.

However, cognac must be respected like any alcoholic spirits and too much may impact your health. As cognac production is limited to only 1. Indeed, a single shot should contain no more than calories much like other distilled spirits like vodka or rum. Similarly, cognac contains no carbs or fats. I love cognac, and I drink this every day. Sometimes, I call my friends over and we finish a whole bottle together. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. In this guide, you will learn everything that you need to know about cognac from its flavours and how to drink it: What Is Cognac? See The Best Cognac Brands. View Top What Is Cognac? Top Spirits Content.

All Liquor Guides. American Whiskey. Scotch Whisky. Cognac is also one of the most expensive French liqueurs in the market today, and its steep price has nothing to do with enticing status symbol seekers. To be a Cognac, the brandy must be made from a specific type of grapes known as Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche or Colombard.

The production process starts with the use of the grapes mentioned earlier, Ugni Blanc is the grape variety that is generally used. These grapes are pressed carefully after harvesting in pneumatic presses or traditional horizontal plate. This is to ensure that the grapes do not get damaged unnecessarily as this could result in undue acidity. The fermentation period can last from two to three weeks without adding any antioxidant or sulfur as these could contaminate the finished product.

After that, the brandy is distilled twice for a minimum of 12 hours in the pot — or copper Alembic — stills. This is where Cognac gets its notable brownish color. But as the water and alcohol evaporate with time, the concentration of alcohol plummets to 40 percent.

It is also crucial for you to know that the grapes that are cultivated in the Cognac region in France are grown in any of the following growing regions or terroirs:. Cognacs are blended, and this action alone gives the strong drink their flavors. These blended flavors usually vary significantly, and this depends on both the aging as well as the type of barrels that were used for the aging process.

Before blending, all cognac is still known as Eaux de vie, but after blending, they are referred to as cognacs. Cognacs are also regularized by the same age designations that are used for brandy, though cognacs are usually much older. The aged cognac can be pretty confusing; however, there is a system that is in place to help you have a full understanding of the age of the eau-de-vie in the blend. They are as follows:. They are young Cognacs which come with flavors of fresh fruit, citrus, and flowers.

They are usually used when mixing cocktails and are known to pair excellently well with several light mixers such as soda water, lemonade, citrus-flavored sodas, etc. All the same, these Cognacs are an excellent choice for classic brandy cocktails. The flavor profile of Cognacs in this category is mostly dominated by flowers and dried fruits.

XO is the standard or criterion which all Cognac houses are evaluated. It is also the best place for you to start looking for good Cognacs. Flavors may vary to a great extent, though it depends primarily on the preference of the market. Nevertheless, Cognacs in this category are incredibly rich with the taste of warm spices and dried fruit, chocolate, cigars, nuts, and toffee.

They usually begin with detectable influences right from the barrel and taste of spices — such as vanilla and cinnamon — as well as dried fruits. This Napoleon grade — which is more affordable than an XO-grade Cognac — was introduced by Courvoisier. Extra Cognacs are ranked slightly higher than XOs and are usually made from special reserves. Extra Cognacs are released in limited batches every year, and more often than not, they come in hand-crafted decanters decorated with precious metals.

The tastes of this grade of Cognac include notes of iris, cigar box, jasmine, passion fruit, earthy black truffle, and vanilla. This class of Cognac is usually made from private family reserves in severely limited numbers. They also come in hand-crafted crystal decanters which are incredibly valuable themselves, up to hundreds of dollars.

Describing the taste of this Cognac is virtually impossible as one cannot do justice to it. However, you should know that you are getting a lot of value for your money because everything that is embedded in the top marque of Cognac houses is worth it.

Over the past decade, you must have been inundated with commercials run by these brands. In fact, Hennessy alone accounts for over 50 percent of sales in America. The grapes across the Cognac region may vary in quality, but once a local distiller has the harvested grapes, they ferment them for five to seven days.

The resulting wine is then double distilled until it is rendered eau-de-vie, a colorless brandy that the cognac makers age in oak barrels for two years. That produces cognac, though distillers typically blend the new cognac with older batches to create the final bottled cognac. For those interested in what differentiates one cognac from another, Cognac Expert explains the classification system with which cognac is labelled. The basis for the comparisons is the age of the youngest eau-de-vie included in the final cognac blend.

So, for example, a cognac comprised of a two-year-old blended with a six-year-old would be considered "Very Special" VS Cognac, which is the cheapest variety. Other subsections to these categories exist, but they mostly indicate when it has exceeded a minimum without reaching the next level.