An introduction to cognac: The French grape brandy beloved of kings and rappers

Cognac is a bit of a cultural hodgepodge. It’s the drink of kings, with Napoleon famously bringing hundreds of bottles with him into exile; it’s the tipple of hip-hop , popping up in the likes of Tupac and Drake’s chart-toppers.

It conjures up stuffy associations of old men in leather armchairs; yet it’s slipping its way into snazzy cocktail bars round the globe in recent years.

One thing everyone can agree on: this grape brandy, hailing from its namesake region in southwestern France, is pretty damn delicious. If you’ve yet to get acquainted, here’s our pocket guide to cognac – its classifications, tasting notes, and where to shop it in Singapore.

Cognac: A story of six crus

Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and perched on the Charente river, the grape-growing region of Cognac is a plum spot for trade. This proved key to cognac’s birth in the 16th century.

The story goes that Dutch settlers exporting Cognac wine back to Holland found that it didn’t travel well, and began distilling it into brandewjin (literally ‘burnt wine’) as a means of preservation.

Before long, French winemakers were taking notice and trying their hand at this delicious new spirit. Some of the biggest cognac houses date back to the early 1700s.

Designated Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in 1936, Cognac today boasts nearly 80,000 hectares of vineyards, spread over six crus or areas.

Grande Champagne is generally the most prized for its soft, chalky soils that yield elegant cognac, closely followed by Petite Champagne; Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires each have their own unique character as well.

The region is home to more than 300 cognac houses, from small family firms to what has become known as the big four – market giants Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell, and Courvoisier.

That’s not forgetting the all-important cast of over 4000 winegrowers, who sell their wine and eaux-de-vie to the cognac houses.

How cognac is made

Unsurprisingly, cognac production is rooted in many regulations. Only three main white grape varieties are allowed in making the base wine for cognac – Ugni Blanc, which typically plays the starring role and yields crisp, acidic wine, along with the lesser-seen Colombard and Folle Blanche.

This base wine – with no added sulphites or sugar – then undergoes a double distillation in onion-shaped Charentais copper pot stills, creating a clear spirit known as the eau-de-vie or blend.

To be used in cognac, the blend must be aged for a minimum of two years in oak casks – typically made from either Tronçais or Limousin oak.

Finally, the cellar master blends eaux-de-vie of various ages and origins, creating a balanced cognac consistent with the brand’s desired profile. In other words, most cognacs on the market are blends – vintage cognacs from a single year and harvest are rare.

Tasting notes

Six crus means six distinctive terroirs, each with their own characters. Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne are known to produce fine, floral eaux-de-vie suited for long ageing, while the Borderies’ clay soil yields nutty flavours and the aroma of violets.

Then there’s Bois Ordinaires, the only cru which lies along the coast – its grapes are said to have the taste of the Atlantic Ocean. Brands draw on grapes from different crus to develop their own signature styles.

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Age is the other key factor in cognac classifications. If you’ve ever wondered what cryptic bottle labels like VSOP or XO mean, here’s the code. VS or ‘very special’ indicates that the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has been aged a minimum of two years.

VSOP or ‘very special old pale’ signals ageing for at least four years, while Napoleon , a recently added classification, denotes at least six years’ ageing.

This is followed by XO or ‘extra old’ (aged at least a decade), XXO (aged a minimum of 14 years), and finally Hors d’Age – which can clock in from several decades to centuries.

Young cognac starts out sharp and lively, packing plenty of fruit and floral freshness. Barrel ageing gives cognac its amber-brown hues, along with those deeper flavours – think dried fruit, caramel, warm spice, and in older expressions, whiffs of leather and cigar. The oak also rounds out the cognacs – the oldest spirits are mellowed over time to a luxurious smoothness and complexity.

Food pairings

VS or VSOP cognacs mix well in cocktails – think your classic Sidecar or an Old Fashioned with a brandy twist.

Older expressions, however, have a world of rich, subtle flavours to unfold – save the aged stuff for sipping neat at room temperature, or add just a few drops of water to open up the aromas.

While cognac is traditionally served as an apéritif or digestif, it can be a lovely tipple for mealtime too. Cognac and mushrooms are a classic pairing – a mushroom cream sauce playing up cognac’s nutty side.

It can cut nicely through fatty, gamey meats like veal, roast duck, and pâtés of all sorts, while bringing its own buttery notes to the experience.

There’s no going wrong with cheese and cognac – younger cognac brings out the fruity freshness in creamy cheeses like camembert and brie. For XO cognacs, look for mature cheeses with nutty, butterscotch depth – aged Gouda, Comté, and even Manchego Viejo.

Shopping cognac in Singapore

1. 8 by Bottles & Bottles

With nine stores across Singapore and a brand-new drink-in concept at Changi Airport, you can usually count on Bottles & Bottles for a convenient liquor fix.

You’ll find a handful of cognac gems among their sprawling range of wines and spirits, including luxury aged bottlings from Tesseron Cognac.

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This prestigious maison in Châteauneuf-sur-Charente draws on Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne blends to make its remarkable cognacs, ranging from above ten years to rare century-old blends.

Start off with the Tesseron Cognac Lot No. 90 XO Ovation ($259.20), a lively, ten-year-old expression bursting with dried fruits, and work your way up to the Lot No. 20 XO Exception ($1,159.20) – the stunningly smooth fruit of more than three generations’ ageing.

For something more entry-level, look to Hine’s H by Hine VSOP ($110.50, 1000ml) – this sharp, sprightly young’un also showcases Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne blends, and waltzes with citrusy notes.

8 by Bottles & Bottles is located at 65 Airport Boulevard, Changi Airport Terminal 3, #B2-51A, Singapore 8196638, p. +65 6288 8128. Shop Bottles & Bottles’ collections online here .

2. Spirits Castle

A homegrown distributor with a portfolio of unique spirits, Spirits Castle is the official distributor in Singapore for Distillerie Tessendier & Fil. This craft cognac maker has been bottling the spirit of innovation with tradition-bucking expressions like the Cognac Park Mizunara 10 Years Old ($248).

Not only is this a single-vineyard cognac from the smallest and most exclusive cru – Borderies – it spends six months finished in prized Mizunara casks, taking on unusual sandalwood and vanilla notes.

The Cognac Park XO Cigar Blend ($328), meanwhile, is crafted for cigar lovers with its dark sweetness and leathery tones.

Shop Spirits Castle’s collections online here .

3. La Maison du Whisky

This haunt of whisky connoisseurs is also a treasure house of fine cognacs, with over a dozen producers in its impressive collection.

The most intriguing bottles, though, are to be found in its Through The Grapevine series, which features exclusive casks and small batch expressions bottled independently by La Maison du Whisky.

These rare finds offer a true taste of terroir from a range of houses – you can find vintages like the Cognac Vaudon 1996 Single Cask ($299), an exquisite snapshot of the Fins Bois with lively minerality and a mushroomy finish. Or pick the Camus 11 Ans Ile de Re ($225) for an expression of the Bois Ordinaires coastal terroir, fresh with peachy aromas and delicate salinity.

La Maison du Whisky is located at  80 Mohamed Sultan Rd, The Pier at Robertson #01-10, Singapore 239013, p. +65 8725 8985. Shop their collections online here .

This article was first published in City Nomads.