I am a scotch drinker, but how do you drink cognac?

[Ceiling Cat]

I was gifted several bottles of scotch for my birthday as people know I am a scotch drinker. One bottle was cognac. I have had 5 drinks from the bottle and the level has only gone down about 1 inch. Cognac burns too much for my taste.

How do you drink cognac, is there a right way?

 

[asterwald]

In rap videos they drink it from the bottle

 

[doggystyle99]

I was gifted several bottles of scotch for my birthday as people know I am a scotch drinker. One bottle was cognac. I have had 5 drinks from the bottle and the level has only gone down about 1 inch. Cognac burns too much for my taste.

How do you drink cognac, is there a right way?

I like mine neat, drink in sips not a gulp to lower the amount of burning and if it's a good cognac it shouldn't burn too much.

 

[John Henry]

I like mine neat, drink in sips not a gulp to lower the amount of burning and if it's a good cognac it shouldn't burn too much.

Exactly . A real good cognac doesn't burn . It goes down smooth just like a good brandy . No ice and little slips like DS said .

 

[Perry Mason]

Cognac needs contact with air, lots of it... which is why snifters are used. And much of the taste experience comes from gently inhaling the alcohol that evaporates as you swirl it around in the glass and warm it up in the palms of your hands.

And you only sip just a touch more than what you need to nicely coat the inside of your mouth and palate. A half ounce pour should be enough for a couple of hours of drinking...

Perry

 

[Ceiling Cat]

The bottle I have is P i e r r e Ferrand amber. The revues seem to be very good.

http://www.spiritsreview.com/reviews-cognac-************-ferrand-ambre.html

 

[Perry Mason]

P-i-e-r-r-e* Ferrand Ambre is not a great Cognac. Something like a VW if it were a car...maybe good value, but that's about it!

Certainly NOT "the cat's meow"! :eyebrows:

A decent Cognac has to be at least VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale). Or Napoleon if you want something really good.

So there you go Cat: "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

* What the fuck is wrong with P-i-e-r-r-e that it gets edited out by the board?

Perry

 

[Aardvark154]

Map of the Cognac producing region https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognac#/media/File:Map_of_Cognac_Regions3.svg


Cognac is a type of French Brandy from the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime and has an an Appellation d'origine contrôlée. Another less commonly exported Appellation d'origine contrôlée French Brandy is Armagnac from Gascony on the south side of the Gironde estuary. Another related product in this general range is Pineau des Charentes an apéritif, from the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime and Dordogne.

As Perry already posted Brandy "needs contact with air, lots of it... which is why snifters are used. And much of the taste experience comes from gently inhaling the alcohol that evaporates as you swirl it around in the glass and warm it up in the palms of your hands."

For those of us who are Philistines one can also drink Brandy and soda, but mixing a XO = Napoleon (top end) French Brandy with soda is frankly sacrilegious.

 

[Jake2525]

I've never acquired the taste myself, but I get my dad Remy XO. As stated previously it is served in a snifter with lots of air contact. Served neat of course. No ice or mixers

 

[jcpro]

How do you drink distilled wine from a pretty bottle? You don't. You use it as a gift to lubricate a transaction.

 

[Titalian]

I was an avid cognac drinker. It was my drink of choice in my younger years. If you want to try something that will really fuck with your head,
one day try Cognac and Champagne together (Mixed). Let me know what you think, if you can think at all afterwards.
Also for a smoother taste, you might try heating up your cognac slightly in the microwave, also easier on your digestive track.
I finally graduated to Vodka. My drink of choice, even today.

 

[Carvher]

I don't like cognac. Whenever I'm given a bottle I just exchange it at the LCBO for something I like.

 

[punter]

Pour some in a glass, set it on fire with a lighter. Let it burn for about 30 sec, then blow out the flame and sip slowly.

 

[Perry Mason]

Pour some in a glass, set it on fire with a lighter. Let it burn for about 30 sec, then blow out the flame and sip slowly.

Here's another equally good suggestion: give the Cognac to your cat to drink, then wait until the cat pisses it out and drink the piss; no ice or mixer needed.

If you would like it a bit warmer, try it with your dog instead!

Perry

 

[las venganza]

Next time you are out at a bar, for a treat, try some of this: http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/remy-martin-louis-xiii-cognac/94433#.Vaz2G_n5ERo

I bought some for a dancer friend and myself, it's quite expensive...but it is the best.

 

[punter]

Here's another equally good suggestion: give the Cognac to your cat to drink, then wait until the cat pisses it out and drink the piss; no ice or mixer needed.

Perry

Here's another: pour the Cognac on the cat, set the cat on fire, when the cat pisses, collect it in a cup, then drink it with room temperature Cognac.

Cognac is such a versatile liqour.

 

[MissCroft]

I finally graduated to Vodka. My drink of choice, even today.

Vodka is also my drink of choice. Also, it has almost no sugar compared to other drinks unless you drink the flavoured vodkas which have added sugar.

Diabetics should definitely avoid rum.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

My brother drinks Remy Martin XO Excellence. I am sure that Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac is better but not 20 times better. He lives in Montreal and has a cottage on Lake Champlain NY. From there he has access to some of the lowest booze prices in the US. He can buy his booze in NY, or in Vermont and New Hampshire which is a 30-60 minute drive away. He can have a bottle of Martin XO Excellence for $160 or Martell Cordon Bleu for $105. The prices at the LCBO are almost double that price.
I get my 1 liter Chivas scotch in NY state for $46 and the Chivas 18 for $60 which is about 33% cheaper than LCBO prices.

There is a point where the quality of the product is just incrementally better but the price can be 20 times more.

 

[Don Draper]

Many fine pointers here from my esteemed colleagues on the fine art of drinking Cognac.

Just one thing not mentioned: do not let it 'settle'. Keep the glass moving in your hand often. Otherwise it 'settles' towards the bottom and becomes heavy.

That's my 0.2c worth.

 

[las venganza]

My brother drinks Remy Martin XO Excellence. I am sure that Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac is better but not 20 times better. He lives in Montreal and has a cottage on Lake Champlain NY. From there he has access to some of the lowest booze prices in the US. He can buy his booze in NY, or in Vermont and New Hampshire which is a 30-60 minute drive away. He can have a bottle of Martin XO Excellence for $160 or Martell Cordon Bleu for $105. The prices at the LCBO are almost double that price.
I get my 1 liter Chivas scotch in NY state for $46 and the Chivas 18 for $60 which is about 33% cheaper than LCBO prices.

There is a point where the quality of the product is just incrementally better but the price can be 20 times more.

Love the prices of liquor and beer in the states...I am like a kid in a candy store when I am there!! LOL