| | Vintage Armagnac | ARMAGNAC
Geography
The Armagnac region lies between the Adour and Garonne rivers in the foothills of the Pyrenees. A part of this historical region is permitted to grow the grapes that are used in the manufacture of brandy that may be labelled with the Armagnac name. This area was officially demarcated when Armagnac was granted AOC status in 1936.
The official production area is divided into three districts which lie in the departements of Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne. The May 25th 1909 Falliere’s decree describes three types of soil:
Bas Armagnac, the most famous area of production, with its capital city Eauze, extends over the Landes and Gers departments, and represents 57% of the vineyards. This sandy and silty soil produces fruity, light, delicate and highly praised eau-de-vie.
Tenarèze, around the small town of Condom, covers the north-west of the Gers and the south of the Lot-et-Garonne area. It represents about 40% of the vineyards planted for distillation. The clay and limestone soils produce rich and full-bodied spirits which reach maturity after a long period of ageing.
Haut Armagnac, called "white" Armagnac because of the abundance of limestone, includes the east of Gers and a small part of the Lot-et-Garonne area. Viticulture was developed here in the 19th century to meet a high market demand. Today this vineyard still exists but only represents a small amount of the production.
Each of these areas is controlled by separate appellation regulations. Although the term "bas" means lower in French, the best armagnacs are principally produced in Bas Armagnac.
Production
The region contains 40,000 acres (160 km²) of grape-producing vines.
The production of armagnac differs in several ways from that of cognac and it is the oldest "eau de vie", dating back to the 12th century.
Armagnac is mainly distilled once and at a lower % of alcohol than cognac, meaning that the former retains more of the fruit character, whereas cognac's second distillation results in a lower balance. Part of the production is also distilled twice. Armagnacs are aged for nearly the same period as cognac, which has a significant impact on the grape once it has been distilled. Armagnac is mainly aged in local oak casks giving them a nice delicate colour, as well as an intricate flavour which is more complex than that of cognac.
Armagnac ages in oak barrels which give it its complex flavour and colour. Armagnac exists in several ages: the minimum for bottles is two years. In the case of assemblies, the age on the bottle refers to the youngest component. An "XXX" or "VS" armagnac is a mix of several armagnacs of at least two years of ageing in wood. For the VSOP, the ageing is at least five years, and for XO, at least six. Richer and more interesting flavours appear from 15 or 20 years of ageing, or more. Older and better armagnacs are dated ("vintages"); these bottles contain armagnac from a single year.
Ageing in the barrel removes a part of the alcohol by evaporation (known as "part des anges", "angel's tribute" or "angel's share") and allows more complex aromatic compounds to appear by oxidation, which further improves the flavour. When the alcohol part reaches 40% or more the armagnac is kept in large glass bottles, called "Dame Jeanne", for storage. From then on the armagnac does not age, and can be bottled for sale from the next year on.
As with any "eau de vie", armagnac is stored vertically to avoid damaging the stopper with alcohol. Once opened a bottle of armagnac stays drinkable for years.
Ageing Requirements for armagnac are:
VS [Very Special] " XXX "- at least one year old
VSOP [Very Superior Old Pale] or Réserve - at least four years old
XO, Napoléon, Extra, Vieille Réserve - at least five years old.
Hors d'age - at least ten years old
Grapes
Ten different varieties of grape are authorised for use in the production of armagnac. Of these, four form the principal part:
Ugni Blanc
Baco 22A
Folle Blanche
Colombard
The remaining varieties include Jurançon and Picquepoul.
Producers
The main producers of armagnac are:
Baron de Lustrac
Baron de Sigognac
Cerbois
Chabot
Domaine de Bordeneuve
Château de Briat
Chateau Laballe
Château Lacquy
Clés Des Ducs
Dartigalongue
Domaine Boingnères
Domaine d'Esperance
Domaine d’Ognoas
Domaine de Pellehaut
De Montal
F. Darroze
Delord
Janneau
La Martiniquaise
Laberdolive
Larressingle
Loubère
Laubade
Maison Gélas
Marcel Trépout (Marques & Domaines de Gascogne)
Marie Duffau
Marquis de Caussade
Ryst-Dupeyron
Cave des producteurs Réunis
Samalens
Sempé
|
Scotch Malt Whisky | SCOTCH WHISKY
Legal definition
To be called Scotch whisky the spirit must conform to the standards of the Scotch Whisky Order of 1990 (UK), which clarified the Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 and mandates that the spirit:
Must be distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, to which only other whole grains may be added, have been processed at that distillery into a mash, converted to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems, and fermented only by the addition of yeast,
Must be distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume so that it retains the flavour of the raw materials used in its production,
Must be matured in Scotland in oak casks for no less than three years,
Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colouring, and
May not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol by volume.
This definition is currently under review and new legislation is expected in the spring of 2008.
History
Whisky has been produced in Scotland for hundreds of years. It is generally agreed that monks brought distillation with them along with Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries. The first taxes on whisky production were imposed in 1644, causing a rise in illicit whisky distilling in the country. Around 1780, there were about 8 legal distilleries and 400 illegal ones. In 1823, Parliament eased restrictions on licensed distilleries with the "Excise Act", while at the same time making it harder for the illegal stills to operate, thereby ushering in the modern era of Scotch production. Two events helped the increase of whisky's popularity: first, a new production process was introduced in 1831 called Coffey or Patent Still (see in section below); the whisky produced with this process was less intense and smoother. Second, the Phylloxera beetle destroyed wine and cognac production in France in 1880.
Methods of production
Types of whisky
Malt whisky must contain no grain other than malted barley and is traditionally distilled in pot stills. Grain whisky may contain unmalted barley or other malted or unmalted grains such as wheat and maize (corn) and is typically distilled in a continuous column still, known as a Patent or Coffey still, the latter after Aeneas Coffey who refined the column still in 1831. While there are scores of malt whisky distilleries, only seven grain distilleries currently exist, most located in the Scottish Lowlands.
Malting
Malt whisky production begins when the barley is malted—by steeping the barley in water, and then allowing it to get to the point of germination. Malting releases enzymes that break down starches in the grain and help convert them into sugars. When the desired state of germination is reached the malted barley is dried using smoke. Many (but not all) distillers add peat to the fire to give an earthy, peaty flavour to the spirit.
Today only a handful of distilleries have their own maltings; these include Balvenie, Kilchoman, Highland Park, Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Springbank and Tamdhu. Even those distilleries that malt their own barley produce only a small percentage of the malt required for production. All distilleries order malt from specialised maltsters.
Mashing and fermentation
The dried malt (and in the case of grain whisky, other grains) is ground into a coarse flour called "grist." This is mixed with hot water in a large vessel called a mash tun. The grist is allowed to steep.
This process is referred to as "mashing," and the mixture as "mash". In mashing, enzymes that were developed during the malting process are allowed to convert the barley starch into sugar, producing a sugary liquid known as "wort".
The wort is then transferred to another large vessel called a "wash back" where it is cooled. The yeast is added, and the wort is allowed to ferment. The resulting liquid, now at about 5–7% alcohol by volume, is called "wash" and is very similar to a rudimentary beer.
Distillation
The next step is to use a still to distil the mash. Distillation is used to increase the alcohol content and to remove undesired impurities such as methanol.
There are two types of stills in use for the distillation: the pot still (for single malts) and the Coffey still (for grain whisky). All Scotch malt whisky distilleries distil their product twice except for the Auchentoshan distillery, which retains the Lowlands tradition of triple distillation.
For malt whisky the wash is transferred into a wash still. The liquid is heated to the boiling point of alcohol, which is lower than the boiling point of water. The alcohol evaporates and travels to the top of the still, through the "lyne arm" and into a condenser—where it is cooled and reverts to liquid. This liquid has an alcohol content of about 20% and is called "low wine".
The low wine is distilled a second time, in a spirit still, and the distillation is divided into three "cuts". The first liquid or cut of the distillation is called "foreshots" and is generally quite toxic due to the presence of the low boiling point alcohol methanol. These are generally saved for further distillation. It is the "middle cut" that the stillman is looking for—it is the middle cut which will be placed in casks for maturation. At this stage it is called "new make". Its alcohol content can be anywhere from 60%–75%. The third cut is called the "feints" and is generally quite weak. These are also saved for further distillation.
Grain whiskies are distilled in a column still, which requires a single distillation to achieve the desired alcohol content. Grain whisky is produced by a continuous fractional distillation process, unlike the simple distillation based batch process used for malt whisky. It is therefore more efficient to operate and the resulting whisky is less expensive.
Maturation
Once distilled the "new make spirit" is placed into oak casks for the maturation process. Historically, casks previously used for sherry were used (as barrels are expensive, and there was a ready market for used sherry butts). Nowadays the casks used are typically sherry or bourbon casks. Sometimes other varieties such as port, Cognac, Madeira, calvados, beer, and Bordeaux wine are used. Bourbon production is a nearly inexhaustible generator of used barrels, due to a regulation requiring the use of new, oak barrels.
The aging process results in evaporation, so each year in the cask causes a loss of volume as well as a reduction in alcohol. The 0.5–2.0% lost each year is known as the angel's share. Many whiskies along the west coast and on the Hebrides are stored in open storehouses on the coast, allowing the salty sea air to pass on its flavour to the spirit. It is a little-known fact, however, that most so-called "coastal" whiskies are matured in large central warehouses in the Scottish interior far from any influence of the sea The distillate must age for at least three years in Scotland to be called Scotch whisky, although most single malts are offered at a minimum of eight years of age. Some believe that older whiskies are inherently better, but others find that the age for optimum flavour development changes drastically from distillery to distillery, or even from cask to cask. Older whiskies are inherently scarcer, however, so they usually command significantly higher prices.
Colour can give a clue to the type of cask (sherry or bourbon) used to age the whisky, although the addition of legal "spirit caramel" is sometimes used to darken an otherwise lightly coloured whisky. Sherried whisky is usually darker or more amber in colour, while whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks is usually a golden-yellow/honey colour.
The late 1990s saw a trend towards "wood finishes" in which fully matured whisky is moved from one barrel into another one that had previously aged a different type of alcohol (e.g., port, Madeira, rum, wine, etc) to add the "finish".
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling number 1.81, for instance, is known by some as "the green Glenfarclas". It was finished in a rum cask after 27 years in an oak (ex-bourbon) barrel and is the colour of extra-virgin olive oil. This is in homage to the legendary "Green Springbank", also aged in rum casks. Another notable example is the "Black Bowmore", released in batches in 1993, 94 and 95 after 29, 30, 31 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The name betrays the density of colour and complexity of flavour naturally imparted into what was originally water-clear spirit in 1964.
Bottling
With single malts, the now properly aged spirit may be "vatted", or "married", with other single malts (sometimes of different ages) from the same distillery. The whisky is generally diluted to a bottling strength of between 40% and 46%.
Occasionally distillers will release a "Cask Strength" edition, which is not diluted and will usually have an alcohol content of 50–60%.
Many distilleries are releasing "Single Cask" editions, which are the product of a single cask which has not been vatted with whisky from any other casks. These bottles will usually have a label which details the date the whisky was distilled, the date it was bottled, the number of bottles produced, the number of the particular bottle, and the number of the cask which produced the bottles.
Chill filtration
Many whiskies are bottled after being "chill-filtered". This is a process in which the whisky is chilled to near 0°C (32°F) and passed through a fine filter. This removes some of the compounds produced during distillation or extracted from the wood of the cask, and prevents the whisky from becoming hazy when chilled, or when water or ice is added.
Chill filtration also removes some of the flavour and body from the whisky, which is why some consider chill-filtered whiskies to be inferior.
Whisky regions
Speyside
Highland
Lowland
Irish Whiskeys
Island
Islay
Campbeltown
Scotland was traditionally divided into four regions: The Highlands, Lowland, Islay and Campbeltown.
Speyside, encompassing the Spey river valley in north-east Scotland, once considered part of the Highlands, has almost half of the total number of distilleries in Scotland within its geographic boundaries; consequently it is officially recognized as a region unto itself.
Campbeltown was removed as a region several years ago, yet was recently re-instated as a recognized production region.
The Islands is not recognized as a region by the SWA (Scotch Whisky Association) and is instead considered part of the Highlands region.
Lowland — only three distilleries remain in operation: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, and Glenkinchie.
Speyside — has the largest number of distilleries, which includes: Aberlour, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet and The Macallan
Highland — some Highland distilleries: Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenmorangie, Oban, and Aberfeldy.
The Islands, an unrecognized sub-region includes all of the whisky producing islands (but excludes Islay): Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney and Skye — with their respective distilleries: Arran, Isle of Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park and Scapa, and Talisker.
Campbeltown, once home to over 30 distilleries, currently has only three distilleries operating: Glengyle, Glen Scotia and Springbank.
Islay — has eight producing distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Laphroaig. A new small distillery, Kilchoman, has recently begun production, but is not yet selling whisky.
Another version used by the Classic Malts Selection considers the Coastal Highlands as a sub-division of Highland Single Malts. This region includes Clynelish and Oban.
Types of Scotch whisky
There are two major categories, single and blended. Single means that all of the product is from a single distillery, while Blended means that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries.
Single malt whisky is a 100% malted barley whisky from one distillery.
Single grain whisky is a grain whisky from one distillery (it does not have to be made from a single type of grain).
Vatted, Pure or Blended malt whisky is a malt whisky created by mixing single malt whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended grain whisky is a whisky created by mixing grain whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended Scotch whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and grain whisky, usually from multiple distilleries.
Single grain
The majority of grain whisky produced in Scotland goes to make blended Scotch whisky. The average blended whisky is 60%–85% grain whisky. Some higher quality grain whisky from a single distillery is bottled as single grain whisky. As of 2006, there are only seven grain whisky distilleries in Scotland.
Vatted / Blended malt
Vatted malt whisky also called pure malt is one of the less common types of Scotch: a blend of single malts from more than one distillery and with differing ages. Vatted malts contain only malt whiskies—no grain whiskies—and are usually distinguished from other types of whisky by the absence of the word ‘single’ before ‘malt’ on the bottle, and the absence of a distillery name. The age of the youngest whisky in the bottle is that used to describe the age on the label, so a vatted malt marked "8 years old" may include older whiskies.
Blended
Blended Scotch whisky constitutes over 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland. Blended Scotch whiskies generally contain 10–50% malt whisky, blended with grain whisky, with the higher quality brands having the highest percent malt. They were initially created for the English market, where pure malt whiskies were considered too harshly flavoured (the main two spirits consumed in England at the time being brandy in the upper classes, and gin in the lower ones). Master blenders combine the various malts and grain whiskies to produce a consistent "brand style". Blended whiskies frequently use the same name for a range of whiskies at wildly varying prices and (presumably) quality. Notable blended Scotch whisky brands include Dewar's, Johnnie Walker, Cutty Sark, J&B, The Famous Grouse, and Chivas Regal.
Independent bottlers
Most malt distilleries sell a significant amount of whisky by the cask for blending, and sometimes to private buyers as well. Whisky from such casks is sometimes bottled as a single malt by independent firms such as Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, Cadenhead, Murray McDavid, Signatory, and others. These are usually labeled with the distillery's name, but not using the distillery's trademarked logos or typefaces. An "official bottling" (or "proprietary bottling"), by comparison, is one from the distillery (or its owner). Many independent bottlings are from single casks, and they may sometimes be very different from an official bottling.
There have been occasional efforts by distillers to curtail independent bottling; Allied Domecq, owner of the Laphroaig distillery, initiated legal action against Murray McDavid in an effort to prevent them from using "Distilled at Laphroaig Distillery" in their independent bottlings of said whisky. Murray McDavid subsequently used the name "Leapfrog" for a time, before Allied backed off.
William Grant & Sons, which owns three malt distilleries, adds a measure of one of its other distilleries' whisky to each cask of malt it sells to independent bottlers. This prevents independent bottlers from bottling the contents of the cask as a single malt.
To avoid potentially sticky legal issues, some independent bottlings do not reveal the distillery of the whisky, using a manufactured brand name or a geographical name instead such as Old St Andrews.
Understanding a Scotch whisky label
Like most other labels, the Scotch whisky label combines law, tradition, marketing, and whim, and may therefore be difficult to understand. Because of variations in language and national law, the following is but a rough guide.
Scotch whisky labels contain the exact words "Scotch whisky"; "Whisky" is sometimes capitalised. If the word "Scotch" is missing, the whisky is probably made elsewhere. If it says Scotch "whiskey" or "Scottish" whisky, it might well be counterfeit.
If a label contains the words "single malt" (sometimes split by other words e.g., "single highland malt"), the bottle contains single malt Scotch whisky.
"Vatted malt," "pure malt," or "blended malt" indicates a mixture of single malt whiskies. In older bottlings pure malt is often used to describe a single malt (e.g. "Glenfiddich Pure Malt").
The label may identify the distillery as the main brand or as part of the product description. This is most likely the case for single malt. Some single malt whisky is sold anonymously or with a fictitious brand name. This does not indicate quality, but successive bottles may be completely different. The only reliable way to identify the distillery is to use a reference.
Alcoholic strength is listed in most countries. Typically, whisky is between 40% and 46% abv. A lower alcohol content may indicate an "economy" whisky or local law. If the bottle is over 50% abv it is probably cask strength.
Age is sometimes listed as well. If a bottle is, say, 12 years old, then all the whisky in the bottle was matured in cask for at least 12 years before bottling.
A year on a bottle normally indicates the year of distillation and one cask bottling, so the year the whisky was bottled may be listed as well. Whisky does not mature once bottled, so the age is the difference between these two dates; if both dates are not shown the age cannot be known from the bottle alone.
|
List of Scotch Whisky Producers | Single Malt Scotch
Main article: Single malt Scotch
Aberfeldy
Aberlour
Allt-A-Bhainne
Ardbeg
Ardmore
Arran
Auchentoshan
Aultmore
Balblair
Balmenach
The Balvenie
Banff
Ben Nevis
Benriach
Benrinnes
Benromach
Bladnoch
Blair Athol
Bowmore
Brackla
Braeval
Bruichladdich
Bunnahabhain
Caol Ila
Caperdonich
Cardhu
Clynelish
An Cnoc
Coleburn
Convalmore
Cragganmore
Craigellachie
Dailuaine
Dallas Dhu
The Dalmore
Dalwhinnie
Deanston
Drumguish
Dufftown
Edradour
Fettercairn
Glen Albyn
Glenallachie
Glenburgie
Glencadam
Glen Deveron
Glendronach
Glendullan
Glen Elgin
Glenesk
Glenfarclas
Glenfiddich
Glen Flagler
Glen Garioch
Glenglassaugh
Glengoyne
Glen Grant
Glen Keith
Glenkinchie
The Glenlivet
Glenlochy
Glenlossie
Glen Mhor
Glenmorangie
Glen Moray
Glen Ord
Glenrothes
Glen Scotia
Glen Spey
Glentauchers
Glenturret
Glen Turner (Whiskey)
Glenugie
Glenury Royal
Highland Park
Imperial
Inchgower
Inverleven
Isle of Jura
Kilchoman
Kinclaith
Knockando
Ladyburn
Lagavulin
Laphroaig
Linkwood
Littlemill
Loch Lomond
Lochnagar
Lochside
Longmorn
The Macallan
Mannochmore
Millburn
Miltonduff
Mortlach
North Port
Oban
Pittyvaich
Port Ellen
Port Charlotte
Old Pulteney
Royal Brackla
Rosebank
St Magdalene
Scapa
The Singleton
Speyburn
Springbank
Strathisla
Strathmill
Talisker
Tamdhu
Tamnavulin
Teaninich
Tobermory
Tomatin
Tomintoul
Tormore
Tullibardine
William Grant & Sons
Grain Scotch Whisky
North British Grain
Cameron Brig (Cameron Bridge Distillery)
Blended Scotch
Ballantine's
Bell's
Black Bottle
Black & White
Chivas Regal
Cutty Sark
Dewar's
Dimple
Sandy Mac Old Scoth Whisky
The Famous Grouse
Gran Old Parr
Grand Macnish
Grants
Haig
J&B
Pinch
Johnnie Walker
Vat 69
Whyte & Mackay
Whyte Horse
Independent Bottlers of Scotch Whisky
Adelphi
Douglas Laing & Co
Duncan Taylor
Gordon & MacPhail
Hart Brothers
Ian Macleod Distillers
James MacArthur
Murray McDavid
Old Malt Cask
Robert Scott
Signatory
Irish Whiskey Brands
Irish Single Malts
Brogan's Legacy Irish Single Malt
A Drop of the Irish
Bushmills Ten Year Old
Bushmills Sixteen Year Old
Cadenhead's Peated Single Malt
Clonmel Single Malt
Connemara
Erin Go Bragh
Jameson
Knappogue Castle
Locke's Single Malt
Merrys Single Malt
Michael Collins Single Malt
Preston Millenium Malt
Shanahans
Shannon Grain Single Malt
Slaney Malt
Suir Peated Malt
Tyrconnell
Pure Pot Still Whiskeys
Green Spot
Daly's of Tullamore
Dungourney 1964
Dunville's VR
Dunville's Three Crowns
Jameson 15 Year Old Pot Still
Magilligan
Midleton 25 Year Old
Midleton 30 Year Old
Old Comber
Redbreast (whiskey)
Willie Napier 1945
Blended Irish Whiskeys
Avoca (whiskey)
Baileys Irish Whiskey
Ballygeary
Brennans
Bushmills White Bush
Bushmills Black Bush
Bushmills 1608
Cassidy's
Coleraine
Clontarf
Crested Ten
Dunphys
Erin's Isle
Feckin Irish Whiskey
Golden Irish
Grace
Hewitts
Inishowen
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Jameson 12 Year Old
Jameson Distillery Reserve
Jameson Gold
Kilbeggan
Locke's
Michael Collins Blend
Midleton Very Rare
Millars
Murphy's
Old Kilkenny
O'Briens
O'Neills
Old Dublin
Paddy
Powers Gold Label
Red Breast Blend
Strangford Gold
Tullamore Dew
Wild Geese
Single Grain Irish Whiskeys
Greenore
|
Vintage Cognac | COGNAC
Cognac named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The rest of the cognac can consist of ten selected grapes. However, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least 2 years in French oak barrels that are sealed air tight in order to be called cognac.
A similar drink, but distilled in a different way and produced in another region is armagnac from Armagnac. There is also calvados (spirit), spirit based on apples from the Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy region.
The town of Cognac is one of only three officially demarcated brandy regions in Europe; the others are the French town of Armagnac and the Spanish town of Jerez.
Producing region and legal definitions
Map of the Cognac region
The region authorised to produce cognac is divided up into six growth areas, or crus (singular cru), broadly covers the department of Charente-Maritime, a large part of the department ofCharente and a few areas in Deux-Sèvres and the Dordogne. The six crus are, in order of decreasing appreciation of the cognacs coming from them: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires.
A cognac made from just the first two of these crus (with at least 50% from Grande Champagne) is called "fine champagne cognac" ("champagne" coming in both cases from archaic words meaning chalky soil, a characteristic of both areas).
Even within the defined region, if a brandy is produced that fails to meet any of the strict criteria set down by the governing body of cognac production, the BNIC—Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac—it may not be called cognac, nor sold as such. Brandy produced elsewhere in France or any other part of the world cannot legally be called "cognac".
It must be produced within the delimited region, from wine using certain grape varieties;
It must be obtained through double distillation, in typical copper Charentais stills;
It must aged in French oak barrels, which give it part of its color and part of its taste.
Many of the cognac producers in the town of Cognac and the surrounding area allow visitors to taste their product; the bigger companies have guided tours to show visitors how the cognac is made.
Production Process
A cognac pot still
Cognac is made from eaux-de-vie (literally, "waters of life") produced by doubly distilling the white wines produced in any of the growth areas. The wine is a very dry, acidic, thin wine, not really suitable for drinking, but excellent for distillation. It may only be made from a strict list of grape varieties. Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper stills, also known as an alembic, the design and dimensions of which are also legally controlled. Two distillations must be carried out; the resulting eau-de-vie is a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol.
Cognac may not be sold to the public, or indeed called 'Cognac', until it has been aged for at least two years, counting from the end of the period of distillation (1 April following the year the grapes were harvested).
During the aging, a large percentage of the alcohol (and water) in the eaux-de-vie evaporates through the porous oak barrels. This is termed locally the "part des anges", or angels' share, a phrase also used in Scotch Whisky production. A black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis (Richon) Scott & Unter., thrives on the alcoholic vapours and normally grows on the walls of the ageing cellars.
The final product is usually diluted to 40% alcohol content (80 proof) with pure and distilled water. Major manufacturers add a small proportion of caramel to colour their cognacs (at least the less expensive qualities); it is claimed that this does not affect the flavour.
The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest eau-de-vie used in the blend. The blend is usually of different ages and (in the case of the larger and more commercial producers) from different local areas. This blending, or marriage, of different eaux-de-vie is important to obtain a complexity of flavours absent from an eau-de-vie from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster (maître de chai) who is responsible for creating this delicate blend of spirits, so that the cognac produced by a company today will taste almost exactly the same as a cognac produced by that same company 50 years ago, or in 50 years' time. In this respect it may be seen to be similar to a blended whisky or non-vintage Champagne, which also rely on blending to achieve a consistent brand flavour.
Hundreds of vineyards in the Cognac AOC region sell their own cognac. These are likewise blended from the eaux-de-vie of different years, but they are single-vineyard cognacs, varying slightly from year to year and according to the taste of the producer, hence lacking some of the predictability of the better-known commercial products. Depending on their success in marketing, small producers may sell a larger or smaller proportion of their product to individual buyers, wine dealers, bars and restaurants, the remainder being acquired by larger cognac houses for blending. The success of artisanal cognacs (and of single malt whiskies) has compelled some larger producers to market single-vineyard cognacs from vineyards that they own. A recent example of this is the cognac house Hennessy, who released Izambard, Le Peu and Camp Romain, being three of their distilleries, in 1999.
Grades
The unofficial grades used to market cognac include:
VS (Very Special) or *** (three stars), where the youngest brandy is stored at least two years in cask.
VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), or Réserve, where the youngest brandy is stored at least four years in cask.
XO (Extra Old), Napoléon, Hors d'Age, where the youngest brandy is stored at least six years in cask.
Note: these 'grades' are not official cognac grades (they are appropriate for brandy) and are simply marketing labels used by certain high profile cognac brands. More traditional cognac houses do not use these grades.
The crus where the grapes were grown can also be used to define the cognac, and give a guide to some of the flavour characteristics of the cognac:
Grande Champagne (13766 hectares total) Grande Champagne eaux de vie are long in the mouth and powerful, dominated by floral notes. The most prestigious of the crus. "Champagne" means chalky soil, a characteristic shared with the area around Reims where Champagne is produced.
Petite Champagne (16171 hectares total) Petite Champagne eaux de vie have similar characteristics to those from Grande Champagne, but are in general shorter on the palate.
Borderies (4160 hectares total) The smallest cru, eaux de vie from the Borderies are the most distinctive, with nutty aromas and flavour, as well as a distinct violet or iris characteristic. Cognacs made with a high percentage of these eaux de vie, for example, "Cordon Bleu" by Martell, are dominated by these very sought-after flavours.
Fins Bois (34265 hectares total) Heavier and faster ageing eaux de vie suitable for establishing the base of some cognacs. Rounded and fruity, with an agreeable oiliness.
Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaires (19979 hectares together with Bons Bois). Further out from the four central growth areas are the Bons Bois and the Bois Ordinaires. With a poorer soil and very much influenced by the maritime climate, this area of 20,000 hectares produces eaux de vie that are less demonstrative and age more quickly. These lesser crus are excluded from blends by some manufacturers.
The growth areas are tightly defined; there exist pockets with soils atypical of the area producing eaux de vie that may have characteristics particular to their location. Hennessy usually uses the unofficial brandy grades for its cognac offerings, but has also produced three single distillery cognacs each with very distinctive flavours arising from the different soils and, to a lesser extent climate. Other cognac houses, such as Moyet, exclusively use the crus to describe their different cognacs.
The top cognac houses also produce premium-level cognacs. These include:
Extra by Camus is their premium cognac beyond XO containing their oldest cognacs from the Borderies, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne regions in a distinctive decanter style bottle.
Louis XIII by Rémy Martin is composed of more than 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie aged a minimum 55 years (usually 65-100+) in very old Limousin oak barrels, presented in exclusively hand made Baccarat crystal decanter, and individually numbered and owner registered.
Richard Hennessy - produced by Hennessy, 'Richard' is a blend of over 100 eaux-de-vie aged up to 200 years. It is sold in a Baccarat crystal blackman and is named after the founder of the company.
L'Esprit de Courvoisier - Courvoisier's leading cognac, presented in a hand-cut Lalique decanter, blended from eaux-de-vie up to 200 years old, and individually numbered.
Moyet Antiques - Moyet's Très Vieille Fine Champagne and Très Vieille Grand Champagne cognacs blended from some barrels over 150 years old, individually numbered and signed by the cellar master.
Brands
Brands of cognac include:
A. E. Dor
Bache-Gabrielsen
Braastad
Brillet
Camus
Chateau Beaulon
Chateau Montifaud
Chateau des Plassons
Courvoisier
Delamain
Francet
Frapin
Gaston de Casteljac
Grönstedts
Guerbé
Hennessy
Hine
Jaques Delorme
Jean Fillioux
Jules Gautret
Kelt
Landy
Larsen
Lautrec
Leopold Gourmel
Louis Royer
Maison Surrenne
Maxime Trijol
Martell
Meukow
Moyet
Otard
Paul Giraud
Paul Monier
Pierre Ferrand
Planat
Prince Hubert de Polignac
Prunier
Ragnaud-Sabourin
Rémy Martin
Tesseron
Companies
Cognac is mainly sold by trading houses. Some of them were founded centuries ago, and still dominate the market today.
Louis-Royer
Bache-Gabrielsen
Camus
Courvoisier
Delamain
Grönstedts
Guerbé
Hennessy
Hine
KELT
Larsen
Martell
Rémy Martin
Moyet
Otard
Pierre Ferrand
Renault
Meukow
Birkedal Hartmann
|
|
|
| CORPORATE GIFTS |  |
 |
