Among brandy, cognac, which is made from grapes, is a liquor that has been loved for a long time in Japan. This time, we will thoroughly explain the origin, type, and drinking method of cognac!

Brandy is a distilled liquor made by fermenting fruits, distilling them, and aging them in barrels. It is made from various fruits such as apples and pears, but the one made from grapes is called grape brandy.

Cognac is made in the Cognac region in the northern part of Bordeaux, France, among the grape brandy, and has cleared strict regulations.

vinification begins with making wine from grapes. The alcohol content is increased by distilling the resulting wine twice.

Aging mainly uses oak barrels from Limousin. This transfers the oak flavor and pigment to brandy, giving it a cognac-like amber color. The minimum aging period is 3 years, and the alcohol content is 40 degrees or more.

There are about 4,500 viticulture farmers in the Cognac region, 80% of which are small-scale distillers with 1 to several distillers, and only a few specialized distilleries with 10 or more. ..

Cognac is permitted to use Uni Blanc (Saint-Emilion de Charente), For Blanche, Colombard, Montil and Semillon. Forinyan may also be used as an auxiliary variety.

Uni-Blanc originates in the Tuscany region of Italy and is called Trebbiano in Italy. It is a neutral variety and is characterized by the scent of citrus fruits such as lemon and herbs.

Colombard is a variety native to the central and western parts of France. In addition to fruits such as white peach, lime, nectarine and group fruit, there is also a spice scent, producing a liquor with a solid structure and moderate acidity.

Located in the central part of the Cognac region, it is a production center that produces the highest quality cognac. The same limestone soil as the land that produces fine wines, it produces delicate, powerful and voluminous cognac with high potential. It is also known for its wonderful aged incense.

It is a production area that surrounds the Grand Champagne from the southwest. The soil is similar to Grande Champagne, but less fragrant and the cognac itself is precocious.

Located northwest of Grand Champagne, it is a production center for clay soils, including siliceous soils. Brandy made here is often used when it is cupaged (mixed) during the manufacturing process, and it can also have a violet flavor.

Located in the northern part of Grande Champagne, it has the largest cultivated area of cognac. Cognac has a soft flavor and is relatively precocious in calcareous soils containing clay.

The letters "XO" and "VSOP" on the cognac bottle indicate the age.

For cognac, the number of years of aging is displayed in units called "comte", and April 1st of the year following the harvest is set as "conte 0", and the number of conte is added every year.

"VSOP" is an abbreviation of "Very Special Old Pale", which is displayed on cognacs of Tale 4 and above, and means the 5th year since the grapes used as the raw material are harvested and the minimum storage of 4 years. It may also be displayed as "Rêserva", "Vieux", "Rare", or "Royal".

"XO" is an abbreviation for "Extra Old" and means Tale 10, that is, a minimum storage of 10 years. It may also be displayed as "Hors d'âge", "Extra", "Ancestral", "Ancêtre", "Or", "Gold", or "Inpêrial".

Supporting the cognac industry is negociant, which bottles and sells branded products, with four major brands: Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin, and Kurboazier. The sales volume of these four brands accounts for 80% of the total sales volume. In addition, it is sometimes called "5 major cognacs" by adding camu to this.

One of the most popular Hennessy is the well-established Maison, whose distillery was founded in 1765 by Irish Richard Hennessy.

Using technology that has been passed down for eight generations, it is made using only eau de vie (raw liquor) made from carefully selected grapes. In recent years, we have been selling new products for young people such as "Pure White", "Hennessy Black" and "Fine de Cognac" in order to appeal not only to the elderly but also to the younger generation.

Remy Martin, who has gained a lot of long-standing fans, is also a long-established store founded in 1724.

With the launch of the VSOP Fine Champagne in 1927, its outstanding quality attracted a great deal of attention and was sold worldwide. From 1948 it was decided to produce only cognacs derived from Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, which became known as Fine Champagne Cognac.

The style hasn't changed, and we continue to release great quality cognac.

In Japan, it is often tasted straight or rock to enjoy a mellow flavor, but in the United States, many young cognacs are used in cocktails. In Asia, it is close to how to enjoy in Japan, and products of VSOP class or higher are mainly consumed straight.

Since the alcohol content exceeds 40 degrees, it is recommended to enjoy it with chaser (water).

Popular brandy cocktails include sidecars shaken with white cura saw or lemon juice, or a small cocktail glass poured straight on top with lemon with granulated sugar or white sugar and blended in the mouth. There are Nikolaschka that you can enjoy.

Along with cognac, Armagnac is a famous brandy. Cognac and Armagnac have similar names, but the major difference between the two is the place of origin.

Cognac is a brandy produced in the Cognac region, which is located in the north of Bordeaux, and Armagnac is a brandy produced in the Armagnac region, which is located in the south of Bordeaux.

Also, Armagnac has a different manufacturing process from Cognac. Cognac is made by two single distillations, while Armagnac is made by one distillation using a continuous still called Alembic.

In general, cognac, which is distilled twice with a single still, has a more elegant taste with less miscellaneous taste, and Armagnac, which is distilled only once with a continuous still, is said to have a wild and wild taste.

Cognac, a representative of sake with a slightly mature atmosphere. I think there are many people who hesitate to drink because of the high alcohol content.

However, it is easier to drink by dividing it with water or soda or making it into a cocktail, and you can easily enjoy the sensual flavor.

Even if you have avoided it, why not take this opportunity to enjoy cognac?