OMFG. I can only imagine what that nose would be like. I'd probably have my face in the glass all night!

Armagnac and Calvados fan here, with a smattering of Marc, although that's pretty hard to come by. I also like Germain-Robin quite a bit; my favorite was the single-barrel brandy made from pinot noir.

As do I. I missed the opportunity to try the pinot noir sb. My loss, I am sure. I have no more G-R, and it is not available here, so I must find it on my next trip to a good US city where it is sold.

I really enjoy a warm cognac to sip on with a slice of pecan pie, fruit compote, etc. It opens up the taste buds really well and you can taste a real depth of flavor in the fruits and nuts of the dessert.

Has anyone tried A.E. Dor Cognac? This house has a range of 19th century vintage cognacs in its cellars which date from between 1893 and 1805. There is a regular range (VSOP, XO etc.) and a range entitled Vielle Reserve.

I'd never had cognac so last year during a very memorable dinner with my Father we each ordered a glass of Remy Martin VSOP. Sadly, it wasn't for me. But the experience of sitting across from the man I love and respect and try to emulate as much as possible sipping on the liquor in the fancy glass was worth it ^

I had their No. 11 a few years ago, which is a blend of unspecified age but over 70 years; quite nice but it struck me as Paradis quality, no better. No idea about the price, but I saw their 1805 vintage bottle at auction for USD 4000.

I don't think I could drink anything I paid so much for, and if I did drink it I'd be feeling guilty about it later.

I agree.

It has also always seemed strange to me that the very people who would value terroir in good wine for example or good olive oil - think that brandy is improved the greater the degree of refinement!

To me, zivania's, grappas, armagnacs, calvados etc give good terroir and to me you feel a closer attatchment to it's terroir and people origins. Much of the expensive brandy I have drunk seems to have had the "land" removed.

Anyone share these views - or violently disagree?

I went to China for the first time three weeks ago and was very surprised by the way they serve wine and cognac...

Actually, whereas you are served very little wine (tenth of the glass) when you order some (even chinese so-called "wine"), if you order some cognac, you will have a big full glass !

Interestingly enough, my flight back was being operated by China Southwest Airlines with an Air France codeshare... After being dispointed by the service onboard, I have been pleased by the fact that they have the same habits than in inland China concerning cognac : I was in business class and they served me very big glasses of cognac (with ice until I asked to remove it !) just as it was orange juice...

Despite the less confortable seats, I finally slept as well as in Air France planes ;)

I work as a wine and spirits agent and heartily agree with you. You should also include single malt scotch as an example of a spirit that has an attachment to the terroir (Islay, Speyside, Lowlands etc.). Consider for a moment that Cognac is marketed by the big houses as a house style as is Champagne. While the terroir may have been removed from the expensive Cognacs, the cost of marketing has been added.

Armagnac has three zones, Bas-Armagnac, Tenareze and Haut-Armagnac. Both the traditional columnar still and the pot still are used but the columnar still predominates. I have one supplier that has two regional versions of their 1979 Armagnac, one from Bas-Armagnac and the other from Tenareze so there is the possibility of seeing differences in terroir. This supplier only uses the columnar still. Armagnac also allows up to ten different varieties of grapes in the blend unlike Cognac which allows only four. Some Armagnac houses produce single varietal distillations so one can appreciate the characteristics of the grape.

Calvados has three A.O.C.s, Calvados, Calvados Pays d'Auge and Calvados Domfrontais. What is really interesting is that Calvados and Calvados Domfrontais are distilled once in a columnar still but Calvados Pays d'Auge is required to be distilled twice in a pot still. Calvados Domfrontais however is required to have at least 30% pears in the mix. Also, there is a difference in the soils between Pays d'Auge and Domfrontais.

Thanks for your post which I found informative. I forgot single malts which I absolutely adore. You can taste the mist and the peat ...... and ... am I going mad ... you can feel the frost .....

As a further example on the Scotch debate, I could never bring myself to buy Johny Walker Blue Label simply to try, but those lovely BA people serve it in F and I've tried it a few times. It makes no sense to me. It's a blend. Of course it is and I knew it. But I was suprised by it's charecter-less qualities and harshness and I was really dissapointed. I don't "get it" at all and it made me wish that BA would spend a similar amount on a small-distiliary single malt.

They do: BA provides an 18-yo single malt in F (but it is not as good as JW Blue!). One of the dangers of non-blends; better in good years, worse in bad years. Ah, the yoys of terroir and variability .....

Thanks yes .... but I said "it made me wish that BA would spend a similar amount ". I remember the malt but not the name and it was from memory a comparatively inexpensive one. I see it as an opportunity for them to acquire something we wouldn't normally see perhaps a smaller more exclusive distiliary ie the stuff that now seems to go to China or Japan.

I understand the terroir argument. The trade off between blending out character for consistency and character/inconsistency is one that most people accept every year when they buy chateau grown wines.

I certainly didn't get Blue at all it seemed harsh and cheap tasting which I guess just shows up my lack of refinement and peasantry. If I hadn't known the price I'd certainly never have guessed it.

Anyone else here enjoy the Remy 1738? Its been one of my favs lately. Hate to bring this thread from the dead but saw the scotch thread so searched for a cognac thread

Yes, it's one of my favorites; and at an amazing price point.

Recently added a "new blond" cognac to the collection.