Cognac

Cognac is the classic breed of brandy, with commonplace production beginning around the 17th Century in the Cognac region of France just north of Bordeaux. A frequent misconception of Cognac brandy is because it is now more widely recognised, that it has more history than its Armagnac counterpart, which has roots in distillation of eau de vie all the way back to the 12th Century. It was due to its location, just south-east of Bordeaux, that gave Armagnac difficulties in finding a method of mass distribution, whereas Cognac, located on the banks of the river Charente and with access to the Atlantic coastline, had numerous trade routes and readily available markets in Britain, Holland and Belgium. These markets became established when, in the 18th Century, Cognac’s now famous households of; the Martells from Jersey, the Hennessys from Ireland, the Hines from Dorset and the Otards from Scotland, settled in the region. Cognac brandy is made by distilling wine using a basic pot still which, although is labour-intensive and heat-inefficient will produce a  spirit with much more character and distinction. The outcome of a first distillation is a brouillis of strength around 30% abv so a second distillation is necessary to reach a spirit of up to 72% abv that is suitable for aging.