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Most of the time I use Cognac to feed Christmas puddings but I do like a good one every once in a while. I have a bottle of Remy Martin XO Champagne and a Courvoisier XO both sitting on the piano, which would look cool if it was a baby grand rather than a Technics electronic one.

Good to have a smooth one every once in a while in a balloon. Anybody else sip?

Sometimes, but very rarely. I actually like Armagnac better. I had a very good one back in Utrecht, that I got as a gift once. Of course, I can't remember the brand...

I think cognac makes an excellent digestif, so I often have it after a meal (assuming there’s no fortified wine of consequence ) or at the end of a night out. In London that generally seems to mean a Remy Martin or Courvoisier VS, though I think the Martell is much better for about the same price.

Of course, ordering it at a bar is often a bit fraught. All too often it comes “on ice† in a hi-ball glass! Unless I see the brandy glasses, I now try to be pretty explicit when ordering…

I also tend to prefer Armagnac if I have a choice. I think, pound-for-pound, the quality tends to be better as there is less demand (a bit like Port v. Champagne).

I like Armagnac as well. It is a lot better value than Cognac. You frequently get more individual ones in the same way you do with Malt Whisky. However, I like the smoothness of a good Cognac and, as I don't drink spirits often, I tend to go for it instead of Armagnac.

I drink my share of Cognac, perhaps a bottle or so a year. I like Pierre Ferrand's line. Tesseron is nice too.

I drink them out of a port glass... Same with Kirsch; can't get enough of that on a snowy night!

I like Cognac a lot too but for some reason never thought about buying a bottle myself.
A good friend of mine always has a bottle ready.
I enjoy it most right after diner, together with a cup of strong, hot coffee.
Sip of Cognac, sip of coffee.

I’ve just spent a few days in Cognac. It’s a lovely town, well worth a couple of days of your time if you live anywhere in easy reach of France. I visited Hennessey, Martell and Otard but as you have to go around with a guide, I soon got board of explanations of how a pot still works so didn’t go inside Remy Martin or Camus! The town is still completely dominated by the industry and most of the houses still age their stock in warehouses built down by the sides of the river, resulting in black-stained buildings and the occasional smell of ageing bandy wafting up the streets.

It didn’t however, particularly change my views: I still like Martell (who also have the nicest premises; built around Martell’s still-standing house) but it’s hard to see myself getting into such an overpriced drink. Some of the stuff that is being turned out is pretty much undrinkable and its a bit of a shame that lots of visitors to the city will be put off by being given something like a Hennessy VS at the end of a tour. In the end, I shunned the discounted prices at the main houses and I picked up some independently produced Cognac which will do me fine for a while.

Blending room at Martell:

I like the camus napoleons...

Giraud, Paul 25 Year Old Grande Champagne 1er Cru du Cognac X.O is FANTASTIC and a very worthwhile cognac to look out for.

If any of you are lucky enough get your hands on some try the Chateau de Beaulon Extra Rare.


It is an ancient house from Cognac that has some of the oldest eaux de vie in France and this one has a fantastic percentage of pre phylloxera eaux de vie.

Anybody in the UK that has even the slightest penchant for a Cognac should get themselves down to Morrison's where they have Courvoisier VSOP at £16.99 (and strangely the VS at £17.49), get some as that is a hell of a price for VSOP.

Buying a Grahams 80 and XO Courvoisier for £80 off a Scouse Ebay seller tomorrow. Taking my life in my hands and all that! Deb still thinks she will drink it with coke. And of course there is no harm in thinking.

Conky wrote:Buying a Grahams 80 and XO Courvoisier for £80 off a Scouse Ebay seller tomorrow. Taking my life in my hands and all that! Deb still thinks she will drink it with coke. And of course there is no harm in thinking.

Yep - and she will probably have lemonade in the Port and a ginger ale in your 18 year old Macallan.

Conky wrote:Buying a Grahams 80 and XO Courvoisier for £80 off a Scouse Ebay seller tomorrow.

You were lucky the auction lasted to the end. Ebay's quite fond of removing cognac auctions on the grounds that their "the value of the bottle must be more than the its contents" rule doesn't apply...