How to taste Cognac

A prestigious and unique eau-de-vie, cognac is known all over the planet. Thanks to its aromas developed over the years by the interaction with the wood in barrels, the contact with air and the blending work done by the cellar master, cognac reveals an aromatic richness and a unique taste.

There are many ways to taste cognac. The most well-known is as a “digestif” at the end of a meal, after coffee. Some amateurs will gladly taste a cognac Hors D’âge with a good cigar.

THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO TASTE COGNAC

There are other ways to taste cognac. For example, a young cognac, like a VS or VSOP. Usually these cognacs are young, powerful with often a lack of maturity to be drunk as a “digestif”. It is recommended to taste it as an “apéritif”!

Several ideas have been developed to drink cognac as an “apéritif”, and work. First of all, just on ice, the cold will weaken the alcohol strength and give way to the aromas.

Then there are several cognac cocktails. The most well-know are Cognac Tonic and Cognac Canada Dry (ginger ale) with ice.

Barmen have also created one of the most fashionable cocktails, the Cognac Summit. A perfect alchemy between cognac, craft lemonade, ginger, lime and cucumber. An explosive mixture!

This is the reason why the Family Painturaud branded their Cognac VSOP “Duo”, to give the idea that the range’s youngest is mainly intended to be mixed with something else.

But it doesn’t stop there. Cognac can also be used in the kitchen, and gives dishes an aromatic richness, “flambé” or with in a sauce.

An interesting discovery made by chance by the family Painturaud is to taste a Cognac Vieille Réserve or a Cognac XO on ice with a chocolate dessert, by preference by a pastry chef. There’s a real reciprocity between cocoa and cognac.

Fine dining restaurants have worked on this and chefs from the Cognac region offer menus served with different cognacs throughout the meal.

To finish, there is no one way to taste cognac, according to a principle and only one, but multiple ways to appreciate it.