10 Cognacs for single malt lovers

Cognac. Cognac! Ah, Cognac, the very word if a byword for luxury and sophistication. Cognac, drunk by hip hop stars and oligarchs and comes in lavishly packaged crystal decanters.

All true. But there’s another side to this unique spirit. Outside the very high end, good Cognac isn’t ridiculously expensive. In fact, in some circumstances it can be ridiculously under-priced. That’s not to say Cognac will ever be cheap but compared with the most in-demand single malt Scotch, Irish whiskeys, and bourbons, it’s starting to look like an increasingly good option.

If you like aged dark spirits whether to sip slowly neat or mix in all kinds of delicious cocktails then we present you with some Cognacs that will appeal to whisky lovers of all stripes whether you like a heavily-sherried Speysider or a floral Highlander. We’ve gone for some of the smaller and more unusual producers just to show the sheer diversity available in this famous but often misunderstood region. But we haven’t stinted on the big name: pass the Courvoiser!

10 Cognacs for single malt Scotch whisky lovers

Seignette VS 

Seignette is an old Cognac brand from the 19th century which was recently revived by the Sazerac company. This is a VS, meaning it’s at least two years old, and spotlights Cognac at its fruitiest and most jolly. It’s particularly good in long drinks like a Brandy & Soda or a Horse’s Neck, but you could also drink this neat or on ice with a twist of orange peel. See our guide to brandy cocktails for more inspiration. 

Rémy Martin 1738

A Cognac that celebrates the Louis XV’s decision to grant a young Rémy Martin the right to plant new vines on his land (banned in France at the time) with the Accord Royal in 1738. It’s said that the Cognac was enjoyed at the King’s court at the time, with Rémy having planted his first vineyard in 1724. This unique blend has been made with majesty very much in mind. This works particularly well in a Sidecar cocktail.

Maxime Trijol VSOP GC

Made exclusively with Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie – the finest cru in the Cognac region. This includes a good amount of Cognacs aged for between 10 and 20 years, and the average age is rumoured to be as much as 15 years! The result is a brandy that’s packed with fresh fruit, vanilla and nutty mature notes. No wonder Maxime Trijol’s VSOP Grande Champagne has won all kinds of awards and is a great favourite with MoM customers.

Hine Rare Cognac

Hine Rare Cognac is crafted using a blend of eaux-de-vie from the Grande and Petite Champagne regions. Around 20 different eaux-de-vie make their way into this expression, resulting in a flavour profile that boasts waves of floral breeze, fresh fruit, and warming woody spices. If you like your Cognac fruity and fresh – then you’ve come to the right place. Try this with seafood dishes like oysters or ceviche.

Pierre Ferrand Ten Générations

Ageing Cognac in old wine casks is not a new thing in Cognac but its practice has been revived by Alexandre Gabriel, the man behind Pierre Ferrand. In this case, 20% of the spirit has been matured in casks that previously held sweet Sauternes wine. The resulting Cognac is redolent of honey, peaches, and custard with just a little spice. In fact, in its flavour profile it’s not dissimilar to a Glenmorangie 10 Year Old.

A.E. Dor VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac

VSOP (very special old pale) means that the Cognac is a minimum of four years old though as with other age designations in the region, many producers’ spirits are significantly older than that. This is from one of the grand old houses of the region, A.E Dor, and is made only from grapes grown in Grande and Petite Champagne, the finest sub-regions. This is in a light fragrant style that majors on stone fruit and orange blossom. It’s perfect for mixing but certainly has the complexity to be drunk on its own.

Hermitage 2010 Grande Champagne Cognac

David Baker from Hermitage has one of the best jobs in booze: sniffing out rare old Cognacs. He’s brought some astonishing brandies to Master of Malt customers over the years including some from the 19th century, but he’s equally adept at more affordable offerings like this. This vintage Grand Champagne Cognac has rich flavours of dried apricot, chocolate, orange peel, and tobacco. You will struggle to find a better aged spirit of whatever type for the money. 

Cognac Brugerolle 19 Year Old 1993 (Master of Malt) 

Here’s something a bit special, this is a single vintage release from Cognac Brugerolle which was bottled by us, so you can only get it from Master of Malt. It spent 19 years in a French oak barrel before bottling at cask strength of 54.2% ABV. Only 289 bottles are available so this is exceedingly rare. With its decadent flavours of tarte tatin, pastry, and butterscotch, this is one to savour slowly with people you really like. 

Merlet Sélection Saint-Sauvant Cognac – Assemblage No.2

A limited-edition Cognac blend, Sélection Saint Sauvant hails from the Merlet house. Assemblage No.2 was crafted by Gilles Merlet and his sons Pierre and Luc, fifth generation of Distillateurs Merlet. The blend includes a variety of vintage Cognacs from the Petit Champagne and Fins Bois regions, and was bottled in 2016. There’s some seriously big flavours here like ginger biscuits, chillies, and apricots for those who love a punchy, distinctive spirit. 

Courvoisier XO Royal

Courvoisier celebrates its historic connections to European royalty with this exquisite XO Cognac. With ties to Napoléon Bonaparte and Napoléon III (Bonaparte’s nephew), Courvoisier still displays the Napoleon coat of arms on all of its bottles. The coat of arms was awarded to the company by Napoléon III in 1869, recognising it as an official supplier to the House of the Emperor. Overseen by master blender Patrice Pinet, this expression combines a marriage of well aged Cognac from the Fins Bois and Grande Champagne regions, resulting in a superb offering that boasts a decadent, full-bodied profile.

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