Very interesting! As a Cognac enthusiast and have been drinking all these 4 brand for the past 40 years, my favorite is opposite from you. My #1 is Hennessey X0, then Martel XO, Remy Martin XO and Courvoirsier XO. I guess it all down to personal preference. Cheers!
i dont wanna sound generic but i wouldnt change anything about the channels, i like the "world tour" of brandies and i also like this high end cognac comparison. VSOP would be nice too since they seem to be much more affordable without losing that much on taste
Brilliant 👏... as a cognac XO drinker myself, Hennessy XO is what I buy as it is $75 (U.S.) for 750ml in Arizona. I'll have to give your 2nd favorite one a try... Cheers!!
Hey Steve, first of all love your content. Best of luck on the journey! I would love to see you do a comparison of Martell Cordon Bleu and Courvoisier XO (where I am in the US, they both go for around $160).
Thanks for your review, Courvoisier on my family is the most renowned, Hennessy came second and Martell third, but to me Martell was the best, but the best I have tasted in my life was a Courvoisier Napoleon Champagne bottle that I could never find again , I purchased it for my second son to be opened when he became 18 years old.... superb!! better than the one I had as Remy Martin XO on my first born child when he became 18 years of age.
Yup. Deffo Armagnac. I already have a couple of Delord samples here. I’m actually just waiting till I get a proper handle on cognac, to see whether I can actually taste a difference 👍
Personally I don't buy any Cognac with this added oak and sugar brew. In Norway it's pointed out if it's Cognac added with the oak/sugar brew. The popular sellers all taste almost the same so I go for the ones with none added or the Brut bottles. I do personally enjoy dry Cognac though, more akin to Armagnac and other none sugared liquors. I just prefer Brandy with no added sugar and wood essences. I guess it's up to taste. Sugar and oak essence in general remove the proper flavors to me, especially the woody flavors which I enjoy.
The typical added stuff is sugar cooked into oak essence and it makes the Cognac taste like typical mainstream Cognac which I personally don't like at all. Boring plain tasting Cognac which most people love. Junk. I want real wood flavors and real fruit. You don't get that from the big labels.
In general the closer a bottle of Cognac is to a bottle of Armagnac the better. Armagnac is a real aged spirit and only lately have some brands understood to release Cognac without diluting it with garbage. Undiluted Cognac is great just like Armagnac.
@@面包小-z5x 9 grams of sugar per liter in Braastad XO. Tiffon is oddly not available here despite the Norwegian ties. Braastad and all of these brands with Norwegian ties from way back in time are all French Cognacs. There's no Cognac made in Norway.
Y muy bueno que, tiene que estar , ese Cuourvoiser , Cuando pueda pruebe el Brandy Gran Reserva Monte Cristo , de las bodegas Pérez Barquero de Montilla , seguro que le gustará , un saludo desde Málaga 😊☺️😌😌
I'd really like to see a comparison with the branded VSOP vs the supermarket VSOP even VS cognacs, I understand this won't resonate with viiewers from non UK countries but it would still be interesting.
I agree with the VSOP comparison and would love it if you did a deep dive “deconstruction” type video for the Sidecar cocktail like you did for the Pornstar Martini. Love the videos.
So I tried Hennessy XO few years ago and was very disappointed with the taste. I don't know if it had oxidized in the bottle at this particular bar I was at but it was nothing like other XO's from other Distilleries I've had before or afterwards ....even 20yr Spanish Brandy was better (Torres) & Vastly more affordable....Courvoisier Sherry Cask VSOP was better in my experience
I have had that same experience with some Whiskeys at bars too ! Last time I had Johnnie Walker Blue and Glenmorangie 10 at a bar the taste was just kind of off. Maybe the "bottle pour tips" at the bar let too much air in the bottle ?
@@henryortizjr1533 i think because of the $25-$35 for 1 shot keeps those Bottles on the Top Shelf Vastly Longer than the more Commonly Drank Premium Booze (say 3-6 months) and it just Oxidized in the Bottle vs a Few Hours with the Regular Options... It's the Only thing I can think of....
They are the most adulterated and emptied of all, but if you make cocktails nobody notices especially if the only interest is to drink a historic brand
Very informative video. However, it's not really blind tasting, as the brandies' colors are different. You knew what you were drinking. I wish you can use an assistant to pass you the brandies and have yourself blindfolded. 🙂
Cognac isn't that expensive. VS is quite cheap considering its a minimal of a 4yo Spirit. However, an XO can be very expensive, but then its a factor of Age (most XOs are a very minimum blend of 10yo Brandies...some XOs contain 20yo+. Also, Cognac can only be distilled 6 months of the year. So its not like Rum/Gin/Vodka/Whiskey which can be distilled 24/7.
This might sound snarky but it's not meant to be - you start with an expensive wine (specific grapes and without using most of the standard techniques for large volume wine making) then distill it down to ~1/4 its volume, age it for a heck of a long time, then cherry-pick the very best and blend them. The extraordinary thing is how the vendors manage to deliver fairly consistent tastes when their only real control is the timing of the distillation (what you discard vs what you keep) so you take your best guess and see how it tastes in 10-25 years. The surprising thing is that it seems to be worth the expense - I was pretty familiar with all the major VSOP cognacs but had a chance to order XO (Remy in my case) at a decent price while I was working in Asia. Might sound stupid but the difference between Remy XO and Remy VSOP was day and night, like the VSOP had been watered down and left to sit out in the sun for a few weeks while the XO was fresh from the bottle. First thought was "OK being rich is worth it after all"... with a few exceptions I am otherwise quite happy as a middle class engineer.
@@613ott I'm talking about letting it get some air and opening up. I always uncork a bottle and let it sit for awhile same when I pour a glass I’ll let it sit for a least 15 minutes.
@@umami0247 not to be rude but if you read what you said. Now you're saying you let it sit for 15 minutes? I don't think you know what you're talking about (Personally if you let these sit for awhile and I'm talking a year they get so much better. Just saying)
I'd love to see a VSOP blind lineup. Cheers and keep the great content coming! 🥃
Very interesting! As a Cognac enthusiast and have been drinking all these 4 brand for the past 40 years, my favorite is opposite from you. My #1 is Hennessey X0, then Martel XO, Remy Martin XO and Courvoirsier XO. I guess it all down to personal preference. Cheers!
i dont wanna sound generic but i wouldnt change anything about the channels, i like the "world tour" of brandies and i also like this high end cognac comparison. VSOP would be nice too since they seem to be much more affordable without losing that much on taste
Looking forward to seeing some Spanish brandy vids. Also I wouldn't mind seeing some calvados.
Have done a bit of Calvados already. Berneroy videos. But deffo more to come…cos even here in the UK “Apple Brandy” is a big deal…ish.
I hope your channel grows. Good content and quality.
Thank you 🙏
Brilliant 👏... as a cognac XO drinker myself, Hennessy XO is what I buy as it is $75 (U.S.) for 750ml in Arizona. I'll have to give your 2nd favorite one a try... Cheers!!
Hey Steve, first of all love your content. Best of luck on the journey!
I would love to see you do a comparison of Martell Cordon Bleu and Courvoisier XO (where I am in the US, they both go for around $160).
Ha, if I can get some Cordon Bleu as a Sample then I will. 👌
Dang... Should have picked up these bottles before covid... I remember they use to go for $90-$110
Thanks for your review, Courvoisier on my family is the most renowned, Hennessy came second and Martell third, but to me Martell was the best, but the best I have tasted in my life was a Courvoisier Napoleon Champagne bottle that I could never find again , I purchased it for my second son to be opened when he became 18 years old.... superb!! better than the one I had as Remy Martin XO on my first born child when he became 18 years of age.
I would be interested in seeing some reviews of armagnac. Delord XO, or 25, Marie duffau, l'encantada, etc
Yup. Deffo Armagnac. I already have a couple of Delord samples here. I’m actually just waiting till I get a proper handle on cognac, to see whether I can actually taste a difference 👍
Sir, even a bisquit and dubouche would be great😊
All four are very nice, but I would agree with you the Courvoiser XO is the best out of the four.
Personally I don't buy any Cognac with this added oak and sugar brew. In Norway it's pointed out if it's Cognac added with the oak/sugar brew. The popular sellers all taste almost the same so I go for the ones with none added or the Brut bottles. I do personally enjoy dry Cognac though, more akin to Armagnac and other none sugared liquors. I just prefer Brandy with no added sugar and wood essences. I guess it's up to taste. Sugar and oak essence in general remove the proper flavors to me, especially the woody flavors which I enjoy.
The typical added stuff is sugar cooked into oak essence and it makes the Cognac taste like typical mainstream Cognac which I personally don't like at all. Boring plain tasting Cognac which most people love. Junk. I want real wood flavors and real fruit. You don't get that from the big labels.
In general the closer a bottle of Cognac is to a bottle of Armagnac the better. Armagnac is a real aged spirit and only lately have some brands understood to release Cognac without diluting it with garbage. Undiluted Cognac is great just like Armagnac.
Try Braastad and Tiffon from your hometown.😂
@@面包小-z5x 9 grams of sugar per liter in Braastad XO. Tiffon is oddly not available here despite the Norwegian ties. Braastad and all of these brands with Norwegian ties from way back in time are all French Cognacs. There's no Cognac made in Norway.
Just bought a Courvoisier XO excited to try it!
Y muy bueno que, tiene que estar , ese Cuourvoiser ,
Cuando pueda pruebe el Brandy Gran Reserva Monte Cristo , de las bodegas Pérez Barquero de Montilla , seguro que le gustará , un saludo desde Málaga 😊☺️😌😌
I'd really like to see a comparison with the branded VSOP vs the supermarket VSOP even VS cognacs, I understand this won't resonate with viiewers from non UK countries but it would still be interesting.
Yup that’s something that’d deffo be fun 👌
I agree with the VSOP comparison and would love it if you did a deep dive “deconstruction” type video for the Sidecar cocktail like you did for the Pornstar Martini. Love the videos.
Still cant find a good Godet XO review.
Edit: this was a well done review of various xo cognac.
I've just looked. I haven't heard of Godet...BUT, I can get it. I look at it fro a new video. Thank you.
So I tried Hennessy XO few years ago and was very disappointed with the taste. I don't know if it had oxidized in the bottle at this particular bar I was at but it was nothing like other XO's from other Distilleries I've had before or afterwards ....even 20yr Spanish Brandy was better (Torres) & Vastly more affordable....Courvoisier Sherry Cask VSOP was better in my experience
Torres range coming very soon!!!
I have had that same experience with some Whiskeys at bars too ! Last time I had Johnnie Walker Blue and Glenmorangie 10 at a bar the taste was just kind of off. Maybe the "bottle pour tips" at the bar let too much air in the bottle ?
@@henryortizjr1533 i think because of the $25-$35 for 1 shot keeps those Bottles on the Top Shelf Vastly Longer than the more Commonly Drank Premium Booze (say 3-6 months) and it just Oxidized in the Bottle vs a Few Hours with the Regular Options... It's the Only thing I can think of....
A Hine walk through,very underrated,and slightly misunderstood House,I think it would be interesting 😊
Really happy for my fav brand yac Courvoisier 🎉 everyone I speak with about yacs always putting “HenDog” in first choice.
Hoenstly, I probably would've thought Remy of Martell. This really surprised me!
Courvoisier Extra is the best cognac I’ve ever tasted apart from some Delamain heavyweights.
They are the most adulterated and emptied of all, but if you make cocktails nobody notices especially if the only interest is to drink a historic brand
Very informative video. However, it's not really blind tasting, as the brandies' colors are different. You knew what you were drinking. I wish you can use an assistant to pass you the brandies and have yourself blindfolded. 🙂
Please try Martell Cordon Blue
Thank god for closed-caption with that accent i need it or i will miss what ur saying- slowdown!!
Y do not like conac
VSOP BLIND LINEUP PLS ❤
VSOP is less for human consumption and more or cooking or cleaning rusty screws, or maybe for sterilizing, like pouring over gunshot wounds.
Why is cognac so expensive?
Cognac isn't that expensive. VS is quite cheap considering its a minimal of a 4yo Spirit. However, an XO can be very expensive, but then its a factor of Age (most XOs are a very minimum blend of 10yo Brandies...some XOs contain 20yo+. Also, Cognac can only be distilled 6 months of the year. So its not like Rum/Gin/Vodka/Whiskey which can be distilled 24/7.
This might sound snarky but it's not meant to be - you start with an expensive wine (specific grapes and without using most of the standard techniques for large volume wine making) then distill it down to ~1/4 its volume, age it for a heck of a long time, then cherry-pick the very best and blend them. The extraordinary thing is how the vendors manage to deliver fairly consistent tastes when their only real control is the timing of the distillation (what you discard vs what you keep) so you take your best guess and see how it tastes in 10-25 years.
The surprising thing is that it seems to be worth the expense - I was pretty familiar with all the major VSOP cognacs but had a chance to order XO (Remy in my case) at a decent price while I was working in Asia. Might sound stupid but the difference between Remy XO and Remy VSOP was day and night, like the VSOP had been watered down and left to sit out in the sun for a few weeks while the XO was fresh from the bottle.
First thought was "OK being rich is worth it after all"... with a few exceptions I am otherwise quite happy as a middle class engineer.
@@johnbridgman4310 Thank you
Cognac is actually typically cheaper than whisky or rum of similar age. At least it is if you avoid the big four and look for good quality cognac.
@@darlsbarkley3493 I like rum better, thank you for your reply
Personally if you let these sit for awhile and I’m talking a year they get so much better. Just saying.
Once cognac is bottled it does not age
@@613ott I'm talking about letting it get some air and opening up. I always uncork a bottle and let it sit for awhile same when I pour a glass I’ll let it sit for a least 15 minutes.
@@umami0247 not to be rude but if you read what you said. Now you're saying you let it sit for 15 minutes? I don't think you know what you're talking about (Personally if you let these sit for awhile and I'm talking a year they get so much better. Just saying)
❤❤❤❤
camus cognac ile de re, is by far one of the best cognacs in the world!