Cognac

Cognac (pronounced /ˈkɒnjæk/), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The rest of the cognac can consist of ten selected grapes. However, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least 2 years in French oak barrels that are sealed air tight in order to be called cognac.

A similar drink, but distilled in a different way and produced in another region is armagnac from Armagnac. There is also calvados based on apples from the Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy region.

The town of Cognac is one of only three officially demarcated brandy regions in Europe; the others are the French town of Armagnac and the Spanish town of Jerez.

Grades
The unofficial grades used to market cognac include:
VS (Very Special) or *** (three stars), where the youngest brandy is stored at least two years in cask.
VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale), or Réserve, where the youngest brandy is stored at least four years in cask.
XO (Extra Old), Napoléon, Hors d'Age, where the youngest brandy is stored at least six years in cask.

Note: these 'grades' are not official cognac grades (they are appropriate for brandy) and are simply marketing labels used by certain high profile cognac brands. More traditional cognac houses do not use these grades.

The crus where the grapes were grown can also be used to define the cognac, and give a guide to some of the flavour characteristics of the cognac:

Grande Champagne (13766 hectares total) Grande Champagne eaux de vie are long in the mouth and powerful, dominated by floral notes. The most prestigious of the crus. "Champagne" means chalky soil, a characteristic shared with the area around Reims where Champagne is produced.

Petite Champagne (16171 hectares total) Petite Champagne eaux de vie have similar characteristics to those from Grande Champagne, but are in general shorter on the palate.

Borderies (4160 hectares total) The smallest cru, eaux de vie from the Borderies are the most distinctive, with nutty aromas and flavour, as well as a distinct violet or iris characteristic. Cognacs made with a high percentage of these eaux de vie, for example, "Cordon Bleu" by Martell, are dominated by these very sought-after flavours.

Fins Bois (34265 hectares total) Heavier and faster ageing eaux de vie suitable for establishing the base of some cognacs. Rounded and fruity, with an agreeable oiliness.

Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaires (19979 hectares together with Bons Bois). Further out from the four central growth areas are the Bons Bois and the Bois Ordinaires. With a poorer soil and very much influenced by the maritime climate, this area of 20,000 hectares produces eaux de vie that are less demonstrative and age more quickly. These lesser crus are excluded from blends by some manufacturers.

The growth areas are tightly defined; there exist pockets with soils atypical of the area producing eaux de vie that may have characteristics particular to their location. Hennessy usually uses the unofficial brandy grades for its cognac offerings, but has also produced three single distillery cognacs each with very distinctive flavours arising from the different soils and, to a lesser extent climate. Other cognac houses, such as Moyet, exclusively use the crus to describe their different cognacs.

The top cognac houses also produce premium-level cognacs. These include:

Extra by Camus is their premium cognac beyond XO containing their oldest cognacs from the Borderies, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne regions in a distinctive decanter style bottle.

Louis XIII by Rémy Martin is composed of more than 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie aged a minimum 55 years (usually 65-100+) in very old Limousin oak barrels, presented in exclusively hand made Baccarat crystal decanter, and individually numbered and owner registered.

Richard Hennessy - produced by Hennessy, 'Richard' is a blend of over 100 eaux-de-vie aged up to 200 years. It is sold in a Baccarat crystal blackman and is named after the founder of the company.

L'Esprit de Courvoisier - Courvoisier's leading cognac, presented in a hand-cut Lalique decanter, blended from eaux-de-vie up to 200 years old, and individually numbered.

Moyet Antiques - Moyet's Très Vieille Fine Champagne and Très Vieille Grand Champagne cognacs blended from some barrels over 150 years old, individually numbered and signed by the cellar master.

Cognac and Hip-hop culture

Since the early 1990s, cognac has seen a significant transformation in its American consumer base, from a predominantly older, affluent white demographic to a younger, urban, and significantly black consumer. Cognac has become ingrained in hip-hop culture, celebrated in songs by artists ranging from Tupac Shakur to Busta Rhymes to Lil Jon and Jay-Z, among many others. It is estimated that between 60% and 80% of the American cognac market is now comprised of African American consumers, the majority of whom have indicated in studies that the endorsement of popular musical artists is a key factor in their preference for the drink[1], which also spawned its nickname 'Yak' (or 'Yack'). Moreover, Pernod-Ricard, the maker of Martell, has acknowledged that "the USA is the biggest market for cognac and African-Americans are a priority target"[2] Many have credited hip-hop culture as the savior of cognac sales in the USA; after nearly floundering in 1998 due to economic crisis in Asia—cognac's main export market at the time—sales of cognac increased to approximately $US 1 billion in America in 2003[3], a growth paralleled by (but not necessarily related to) hip-hop's rise into the mainstream of American music.

Brands
Brands of cognac include:
A. E. Dor
Bache-Gabrielsen
Braastad
Brillet
Bisquit
CMG Cognac
Camus
Cognac Godet
Chateau Beaulon
Chateau Montifaud
Chateau des Plassons
Courvoisier
Delamain
Francet
Frapin
Gaston de Casteljac
Gautier
Grönstedts
Guerbé
Hennessy
Hine
Jaques Delorme
Jean Fillioux
Jules Gautret
Kelt
Landy
Larsen
Lautrec
Leopold Gourmel
Louis Royer
Maison Surrenne
Maxime Trijol
Martell
Meukow
Moyet
Otard
Paul Giraud
Paul Monier
Pierre Ferrand
Planat
Prince Hubert de Polignac
Prunier
Ragnaud-Sabourin
Rémy Martin
Tesseron
Origin