Looking for a Cognac

[TheRiddick]

Originally Posted by robofan

I recommend this one:



Chalfonte Cognac V.S.O.P.

It runs about $25 a bottle. Smooth and a little on the sweet side.
Give it a try.

Hmmm... Can you say, Food coloring? That red tint is a clear give-away. Look for pale, vanilla color, that is a true barrel color, anything red tells me, Walk away (any large house is an example of that).

Listen to what Moses said, Ferrand is one of the smaller brands that are under the radar and are HEAD and SHOULDERS above most competition. Others are Deret and Delamaine, probably even better products for my money. Another is Leopold Gourmel, my favorite. Incredible fruit with just a touch of oak. YOMMV, of course.

In general, I avoid any Cognac that even has a designation (VS, VSOP, XO), most small houses start at 10 years (XO designation, for example, is just 6 years of aging) and quickly progress into 30-50 years territory. You need to know what to buy, of course, and where to look.

Look up that Hine (link in above post), only one bottle has a designation, others have propriery names as most small houses do.

[Snake Hips]

Thanks for the replies - I guess Ferrand and Hine are what I'll look for first. That "Blende Cigarre" sounds interesting. If they don't have designations, how do you tell which is which? By the price?