The Great Cognac Tasting
Show me how you drink and I will tell you who you are.
~Emile Peynaud
This is it! The moment I've (we've) been waiting for such a long time now! You might remember me discussing this matter in the middle of December when I explained how I would have a known brand tasting with cognacs. So yesterday I had people come over to discuss, taste and assess four different products.
I did do some proper settings before the event. I reserved plain crackers and water (to cleanse the palate between different cognacs), a small cup of coffee beans to neutralize the nose buds and some tasting note papers for people to write their experiences on.
I believed this was going to be a rather difficult tasting I've ever conducted. I don't possess the experience and wisdom of analyzing different subtleties, especially regarding cognac. I won't vouch for my friends' previous knowledge of the matter in hand, but I believe it wasn't an easy tasting for them either.
In addition, I gathered the official tasting notes from the different producers so we could later discuss and compare our observations. Because Courvoisier didn't have a website that actually worked (for me) failed to help me via Facebook, of all the VSOP cognacs I had I dropped it out for the final tasting. A special thanks to Rémy Martin for sharing the notes via Facebook!
The cognacs we reviewed were as followed:
- Rémy Martin VSOP
- Meukow VSOP
- Baron Otard VSOP
- Hennessy VSOP
Before we could start though, I carefully poured 1.5 cl of each cognac into proper nosing glasses I received from work.
The master of Ceremonies at work
THE COGNACS
(the tasting notes I will just straightforward copy+paste and I'll discuss the results afterwards but do enjoy the picture gallery of this event before the actual reviews)
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RÉMY MARTIN
Blend: Cognac Fine Champagne, 55% Grande Champagne, 45% Petite Champagne
Color: Vibrant gold
Aromas and Flavors:
Fruity notes - the roundness of summer fruits, especially ripe apricots and peaches
Floral notes - the impertinence of wild flowers, particularly violets
Oaky notes - predominantly vanilla, with a hint of liquorice
Texture: Silky
Finish: A perfectly balanced blend of ripeness
MEUKOW VSOP
Nose: Fruity with raisins, candied orange and white peach.
Palate: Walnut and hazelnut aromas with vanilla.
Finish: Harmonious and mellow tannins with spicy nuances.
BARON OTARD VSOP
This elegant cognac comes with full-bodied flavor, great finesse and a good finish. The nose is rich in floral notes, backed by touches of linden tree leaves, pear, tobacco and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it is round and mellow, with subtle, fruity sweet flavors enhanced by a hint of spices. It has an opulent deep golden colour.
HENNESSY VSOP
Nose: On the nose, the first fragrances perceived are soft spices such as vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Then delicate toasted notes follow
Palate: On the palate, the natural balance of strength and smoothness creates a harmonious blend in which maturity combines with vigor. The structure is softened by a suggestion of fresh grape character.
Finish: The highlight of tasting Hennessy V.S.O.P is the long-lasting finish, revealing the natural balance of the blend – testament to a superior cognac.
THE RESULTS
As mentioned before, I wasn't expecting any short stories with the reviews. I was mostly interested with the five-star-rating at the end of each cognac and perhaps some similarities regarding the products. With Rémy Martin, people did pick off fruity notes. It was also considered warm with a strong, stingy aroma. The Meukow had a strong aroma but in the palate regarded very soft. Baron Otard had the longest finish/after taste of them all and Hennessy was told to be soft and lingering. Also, Hennessy was considerably darker than the others. Whereas the first three were rather (deep) gold in color, Hennessy had a more of a copper-ish tone.
Finally, the five guests (and me) gave each cognac a rating from 1-5 stars, so one cognac could achieve the maximum score of 30. (The products were not compared with each other but rated as individuals). The ratings as follows:
- Rémy Martin 20 points
- Meukow 19 points
- Baron Otard 17.5 points
- Hennessy 20 points
So it's a tie between Rémy Martin and Hennessy, 3rd place goes to Meukow!
AFTERMATH
This was a great event, hands down! At this point I must say how promptly on time with no-one having to wait for Johnnies-come-lately we started! I mean, people were even early at this event! In addition, I wanted to implement a set of cognac cocktails for all of my guests with their favorite cognac used.
The list included:
Brandy Alexander
Sidecar
French Connection
Horse's Neck
The evening continued with other guests arriving and the "official" part ending. I didn't end the cognac-theme at this point though, but instead made a cognac drink for us all; French Coffee! (4 cl cognac, coffee and top it off with loosely whipped cream; I added some grated nutmeg on top)
French Coffee
As a cherry on top of the cake, what is an evening with friends without some proper champagne?
To sum this all up. It was a perfect evening. A big thanks to Marjukka for letting me use her camera and my work place Teerenpeli for the tasting platters used!
