Cognac Review: Remy Martin VSOP

Hi, tonight we're going to do something different. We're going to visit France, well not literally, but spiritually. And the spirit that's going to take us there is not distilled from grains like barley, or malted barley, or rye, or wheat, but rather grapes from the Champagne region, Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne, and this is Remy Martin VSOP Cognac type of brandy. 40% alcohol by volume, cork stopper, 750 milliliter format that I'm sampling tonight. Cognac is a type of brandy as I said before, and it's distilled from grapes, a certain type of grapes from a certain region of France. And what is interesting about Cognac is that the flavor profile is very different from whiskey, because it's distilled not from the typical grains used in whiskey, but from grapes. Nevertheless, it can be a delight, and this whiskey is the grade is VSOP, or Very Special Old Pale. There's another grade which is Very Special, or VS, and I assure you that it's only special in name, because any cognac that is VS is generally hot, heated, boozy, and best used at best as a base in a cocktail. VSOP you can enjoy neat, and then there is another grade called XO, or Extra Old, and I think as of 2016, Extra Old Cognac must be aged for a minimum of 10 years. VSOP it must be aged for a minimum of four years, and the Very Special a minimum of two years. So we're going to try the Remy Martin VSOP. I have two glasses. I have the classic Brandy Snifter, and then I have the Glencairn glass that is more familiar from the world of scotch whiskey. I've tried it in both, and what's interesting is that the nose is different in the Glencairn than in the traditional Brandy Snifter. In the Glencairn glass, it's more concentrated. On the Glencairn glass, on the nose, vanilla, mulled wine, red liquor. In the Brandy Snifter, much more orangey. Oranges, I mean. More complex. More complexity of, much more of a pleasure to nose. So if you're enjoying cognac, put the Glencairn glass down, and enjoy it in the traditional Brandy Snifter. Now, on the palate. When I tried it in the but strangely in the Brandy Snifter, it accentuates, or you taste more of a red liquor, Australian red liquor. More oranges, orange rind, a bit of spiciness, cinnamon on the finish, and some malt and pencil. Cognac is different in terms of complexity. We think of scotch whiskey as being very complex, and by that I mean a tapestry of flavors. Cognac, the flavors are delivered more straightforward fashion, at least at the BSOP level, unless you have to go to the extra old to get real true complexity. That being said, this is still a good drink. It's smooth, it does dry a little bit on the palate. It offers something different, and I think, you know, scotch whiskey is good. Canadian whiskey is good, and it's unfortunate to grade a Canadian whiskey against a scotch whiskey, and similarly with cognac. It's a very different beast. I do love scotch, and in my heart of hearts, I prefer scotch over all other whiskies or distilled spirits, but you have to expand your mind and your tastes and try different things, and there's a place for cognac. After dinner, obviously, is the traditional way, maybe with a cigar, but it has a special place, and what this will deliver for you at the BSOP level for Remy Martel, widely available, is a smooth spirit that has oranges, orange rind, a bit of spice, pencil lead, a bit of almost like a malt liquor taste to it, and if you drink it enough, there's a bit of smokiness, although it's not peated, obviously. BSOP cognac is aged typically four to seven years. Extra old is aged minimum 10 years, and this whiskey tastes good to me. It can be used as the base of a cocktail, too. I like cognac, once in a while, not all the time, and I will say one thing. This bottle has disappeared quickly. I haven't had it long, but I can't seem to keep it. It's a 750 milliliter bottle, and it just disappears. The other night, I was watching an old Walter Matthau 1973 flick, where he was a bank robber, and it's called Charlie Varick. It was a good little flick, and I was drinking some cognac, and the cognac was disappearing very quickly. That's my review for tonight. Broaden your horizons, and try a different spirit. Cheers. Thank you for tuning in. Cheers.