Only three star is now used in cognac and along with 'V. The term V. Thus this style and the V. Extra Old blend of old eaux-de-vie for consumption by close friends and family. Vintage Cognac While it is not permitted to put an age statement on cognac, the rules do allow for vintage cognacs made with eaux-de-vie from a single harvest and that year may be specified on the label. Sadly the production of vintage cognacs remains rare.
You must log in to your account to make a comment. JavaScript is not enabled! For information on how to enable Javascript on your browser click here. A rule introduced in August codifies the use of the designations based on the length of ageing of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend as follows: V.
Join the Discussion Climate change may someday influence which grapes are used to produce Cognac. The French drink as much Scotch as they produce Cognac nearly 12 million cases. According to Master Blender Laurent Robin of Louis Royer , 50 years is the average lifespan of a copper pot still due to acidity and heat. Coloring can legally be added to Cognacs to ensure consistency. Getty All featured products are independently selected by our editorial team or contributors.
A VS Cognac must be aged for a minimum of two years. If you see three stars on a cognac bottle, it means it is in the VS age category.
This means that the youngest eau-de-vie that was used to create the blend was aged in oak barrels for at least two years. It may be a little punchy on the palate with a youthful fire, but a young cognac can boast lovely fruity aromas.
This does not prevent a master blender from using older eaux-de-vie in the blend. The origin of the expression dates back to an order made by the British Royal Court in At the time it was very common to use sugar and caramel to sweeten cognac, and this description alluded to one created without these additives.
As in any other age category, this does not prevent the master blender from using much older eaux-de-vie in order to achieve the perfect harmony for the final cognac blend. As a result, the average age of a VSOP is often much older than the minimum requirement of four years. Some use fullstops after the letters, V. Again, it all comes down to personal preference. If a cognac has been aged for longer, it does not necessarily mean it is better. Younger cognacs, such as a VS, tend to have a fresher, livelier aromas of fruit, where as older eaux-de-vie such as VSOPs tend to be smoother, with clear notes of oak and spices.
There are some very good VSOPs on the market, many of which are delicious drunk neat. However, this category has become a favorite with mixologists as a potent element of a cognac cocktail. This makes cognacs from this category a really versatile addition to any good liquor collection. So what does XO mean for Cognac? Even though the youngest blend in an XO Cognac can be as young as ten years, a XO usually has an average age of between 15 and 20 years, sometimes older.
So how old is a Cognac XO officially? As of , the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac BNIC increased the minimum XO cognac age for the youngest eau-de-vie from six to ten years, in an effort to improve the quality of the spirit across the board.
So what does XO cognac taste like? The time spent in the barrels can influence the cognac significantly, and an exceptional XO will be rich and luxurious with warm spice, toffee, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit.
There are many exceptional XO Cognacs for you to try, and we recommend that you taste as many as possible. But in the case of an XXO, the minimum length of aging to qualify is 14 years. This makes an XXO cognac the oldest official rating a cognac can hold. Of course, there are other commonly used expressions that describe cognacs that have been aged well beyond these 14 years.
However, these are not official categories. So not matter how old a cognac might be, it falls into the XXO category. In fact, before the landmark ruling brought about by Hennessy and other cognac producers, any cognac that had been aged for more than six years was counted as an XO, even if it was more than a century old!
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